arc. 


THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 


IN  MEMORY  OF 

Dr.   and  Mrs* 
Frank  Weymouth 


Gambers  White-crowned  Sparrow. 
NuttaU's   White-crowned  Sparrow. 

(Seepage  74.) 


A  First  Book  upon  the  BIRDS 

WASHINGTON 


A  Pocket  Guide  and  Pupil' s  Assistant  in  a 

study  of  the  more  common  Land  Birds 

and  a  few  of  the  Shore  and  Water 

Birds  of  these  States. 


WILLIAM  ROGERS  LORD 


Revised  and  Enlarged  Edition. 


1902 

WILLIAM  ROGERS  LORD 

OFFICE  OF  THE  J.    K.    GILL  COMPANY 

PORTLAND,  OREGON. 


Copyright,  IQO2,  by  William  R.  Lord 
A II  rights  reserved 


BIOLOGY 
Add'l 

GIFT 

The  Heintzemann  Press 
Boston 


GbfS  .IBOOfc 


IS   DEDICATED   TO   ALL   BIRD   LOVERS   IN    THE   STATES   FOR 
WHICH   IT    IS   PREPARED,    ESPECIALLY   TO   THE 


ant)  ILafcfes  of  tbe 


IN   THE   CITIES,    TOWNS   AND   SCHOOLS,   WHO 

RECOGNIZE   AND   HAVE   ACCEPTED   THE   TITLE,    AND   ALSO 

TO    ALL   THOSE  WHO,    THROUGH    ITS   PAGES,   SHALL 

COME   TO   FIND   IN   THE   BIRDS   MINIS- 

TERS OF  BEAUTY   AND  JOY          * 


242 


TABLE  OF  CONTENTS. 

INTRODUCTION  TO  FIRST  EDITION   .....    9 
INTRODUCTION  TO  SECOND  EDITION 13 

CHAPTER  I. 
A  WORD  TO  BEGINNERS  AND  TO  TEACHERS  .  .   17 

CHAPTER  II. 
THE  BIRDS  OF  OREGON  AND  WASHINGTON  .  .   22 

CHAPTER  III. 
How  TO  KNOW  THE  BIRDS 28 

CHAPTER    IV. 

How  BIRDS  ARE  DESCRIBED  IN  THIS  BOOK     .     .       32 

CHAPTER    V. 

How  TO  NAME  THE  BIRDS 37 

CHAPTER  VI. 
UPON  IMPORTED  SONG  BIRDS 237 

CHAPTER  VII. 
How  TO  DOMESTICATE  AND  TAME  BIRDS  .     .     .     242 

KEYS  TO  ASSIST  IN  FINDING  THE  BIRDS  — 

Size  Key 261 

Color  Key 264 

BIRDS  GROUPED  IN  FAMILIES.     Scientific  Order      269 

A  COURSE  OF  STUDY  UPON  BIRDS  FOR  SCHOOLS 

AND  BIRD-STUDENTS 279 

INDEX 299 


LIST  OF  ILLUSTRATIONS. 

WHITE-CROWNED  SPARROWS     ....      Frontispiece 

TOPOGRAPHICAL  BIRD 33 

WESTERN  MEADOWLARK      ........  40 

WESTERN  MEADOWLARK  SONGS    .....     41,43 

TAME  GROSBEAKS  IN  OREGON  CITY  .....  48 

TOWHEE,  OR  CHEWINK     ........     i  60 

TAME  ROBIN  AND  FLEDGLING  .......  78 

BOY  AND  CEDAR  WAXWING       .     .     .     .     .     ,     .  112 

A  PAIR  OF  WESTERN  MEADOWLARKS     .     ,     .     .  126 

FLYCATCHERS      .......  138 

ROBIN  IN  THE  OPEN     ...........  154 

BONAPARTE'S  GULL      ..........  170 

WESTERN  EVENING  GROSBEAK      .,,...  184 

SCREECH  OWL .         .     .  196 

KILLDEER  BROODING ,     =          .     .  202 

AMERICAN  HERRING  GULL  BROODING    .     .     ,     .  212 

SNOWFLAKE ,          .     .  224 

CHILDREN  AND  CEDAR  WAXWING      ....'.  242 

MARTIN  HOUSE  ....;...,,..  246 

BOY  AND  ROBIN  ............  258 


INTRODUCTION. 

WHEN  I  came  to  Oregon  in  the  spring  of  1899 
from  the  North  Atlantic  States,  I  was  greatly 
delighted  at  the  strange  and  beautiful  songs  of 
some  of  the  birds  which,  from  the  morning  of 
my  arrival,  greeted  my  ear.  Afterward,  as  I  set 
about  studying  and  naming  these  new  songsters, 
I  encountered  an  unaccustomed  difficulty.  There 
are  numerous  short,  simple  and  helpful  books  for 
eastern  North  America,  by  the  aid  of  which  a 
resident  of  that  section  may  begin  to  know  the 
birds  of  his  own  locality.  But  I  found,  upon  in- 
quiry, that  there  were  none  especially  for  this  part 
of  the  United  States.  The  only  helps  were  in 
the  large  scientific  works  of  Ridgway,  Coues, 
and  others,  covering  the  whole  or  large  parts  of 
the  United  States — and  these  were  to  be  had 
only  in  a  public  library,  and  when  in  hand  were 
not  easy  of  use.  I  have,  therefore,  made  slow 
headway  in  the  study  of  the  birds  of  Oregon. 


io          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

To  save  others  the  difficulties  I  have  encoun- 
tered, and  to  encourage  many,  I  hope,  to  become 
familiar  with  the  beautiful  in  the  form  of  bird- 
life  in  this  section  of  the  country,  I  have  under- 
taken to  supply  at  least  a  present  demand,  and 
furnish  something  like  a  First  Book  upon  the 
birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington. 

The  number  of  birds  included  in  this  little 
book  is  limited  to  the  purpose  for  which  it  is 
prepared,  viz :  to  introduce  one  to  most  of  the 
common  Land-birds  of  this  section,  except  the 
Game-birds,  and  to  a  few  of  the  Water-birds. 
The  Game-birds  are  omitted,  because  it  is  as- 
sumed that  they  are  well  known  by  nearly  every 
one ;  and  most  of  the  Water-birds  are  not  given, 
because  they  are  not  commonly  seen,  are  limited 
to  the  coast  and  waterways,  are  shy,  and  do  not 
often  attract  any  one  except  hunters  and  ad- 
vanced bird-students.  A  few  more  than  one 
hundred  birds  are  described.* 

The  book  is  also  limited  in  that  it  seeks  mainly 
to  help  one  to  become  acquainted  with  the  birds 
by  sight  and  song,  leaving,  for  the  most  part,  a 

*  In  the  second  edition,  the  number  described  is  about  one  hun- 
and  fifty 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington  1 1 

treatment  of  the  habits  of  birds,  their  nesting, 
etc.,  for  later  study. 

In  the  making  of  this  book,  I  am  under  obli- 
gation to  a  number  of  friends  and  bird-lovers 
whose  information  has  been  freely  given  and 
whose  criticism  of  my  manuscript  has  saved  me 
from  some  errors.  During  the  weeks  of  writing, 
I  was  fortunate  enough  to  have  as  a  constant  ad- 
viser and  critic,  Mr.  A.  W.  Anthony,  a  recog- 
nized authority  on  the  birds  of  the  Coast,  from 
Alaska  to  Central  America.  Also,  Mr.  Herman 
Bohlman,  of  Portland,  Oregon,  has  given  me 
his  accurate  observations  of  the  more  local  bird- 
life,  and  Mr.  Ross  Nicholas,  of  the  same  place, 
has  been  as  generous  of  his  store  of  local  bird 
knowledge. 

I  want  also  to  acknowledge  the  help  that  Mr. 
Charles  A.  Keeler's  book,  "  Bird  Notes  Afield  " 
(for  California),  has  been  to  me  in  making  this 
more  northern  partial  directory.  I  have  been 
aided  by  his  excellent  descriptive  list.  Due 
credit  has  been  given  him  as  often  as  I  have 
made  use  of  his  work. 

Of  course,  "  Ridg way's  Manual"  has  been 
always  by  my  side  for  reference,  while  Mr. 


1 2  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Chapman's  "  Bird-Life  "  has  served  me  on  occa- 
sion, as  he  will  see,  should  he  take  the  trouble 
to  look  into  these  pages. 

To  Mr.  T.  Brook  White,  gratitude  is  due  for 
his  labor,  under  difficulties,  in  photographing  the 
birds,  "  half-tones  "  of  which  appear  among  the 
pages  of  the  book.* 

Thanks  are  due  to  friends  for  aid  in  manu- 
script and  proof  reading,  and  in  copying. 

In  preparing  the  book,  I  have  had  the  en- 
couragement and  constant  assistance  of  my  wife. 
Her  deep  sympathy  with  the  subject  and  her 
literary  sense  have  rendered  her  services  too 
valuable  not  to  have  them  recognized  in  this 
place. 

*  One  of  these,  that  of  the  Western  Evening  Grosbeak,  remains  in 
this  edition.  I  am  indebted  to  the  Curators  of  the  American  Mu- 
seum of  Natural  History,  New  York,  Dr.  Allen  and  Mr.  Chapman, 
for  the  use  of  the  birds  for  the  five  pictures  composed,  photographed 
and  touched  by  Mr.  H.  C.  Denslow  of  that  institution;  to  Dr.  C.  F. 
Hodge,  of  Clark  University,  Worcester,  Mass.,  for  the  pictures  of  the 
living  Waxwing  and  the  Robin  ;  to  Miss  Ida  E.  Hegner,  of  Decorah, 
Iowa,  for  another;  to  Rev.  H.  W.  Gleason  for  all  except  two  of  the 
remaining  photographs  of  birds,  living  and  dead.  One  of  these,  the 
living  Killdeer,  though  taken  by  Mr.  Gleason,  comes  through  the  cour- 
tesy of  the  "  Outing "  Company,  New  York ;  the  other,  the  living 
brooding  American  Herring  Gull,  through  the  courtesy  of  Mr.  Wm. 
Dutcher,  of  the  Protective  Committee  of  the  American  Ornitholo- 
gists' Union, 


INTRODUCTION    TO   SECOND 
EDITION. 

THE  introduction  to  the  first  edition  of  this 
book  may  stand  as  originally  written,  save  for  a 
word  or  two. 

In  sending  out  the  second  edition,  so  soon 
after  the  first,  some  statements  should  be  made 
to  students  and  readers  of  the  book. 

Three  weeks  after  the  first  edition  was  given 
to  the  public,  the  Text  Book  Commission  of  the 
State  of  Oregon  selected  "  A  First  Book  upon 
the  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington  "  for  "  Sup- 
plementary Reading "  in  the  public  schools  of 
the  State.  Such  action  at  once  made  necessary 
a  new  edition,  to  meet  a  demand  far  beyond  that 
anticipated  in  printing  the  first  one.  It  was 
almost  unavoidable  that  a  book,  which  was  not 
only  "  a  "  but  the  "  First  Book  upon  the  Birds  cf 
Oregon  and  Washington,"  should  be  imperfect 
and  deficient,  not  alone  on  account  of  the 


1 4          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

author's  own  limited  knowledge,  but  also  because 
of  the  ignorance,  even  amongst  great  ornitholo- 
gists, of  bird-life  in  special  localities  in  the  vast 
territory  which  our  two  States  include  —  an 
area  nearly  as  large  as  all  New  England  plus  the 
States  of  New  York  and  Pennsylvania.  In  only 
a  few  places,  have  any  authoritative  observations 
and  records  been  made. 

The  publication  of  his  first  book  brought  to 
the  author,  from  several  quarters,  information 
profitable  —  both  for  new  knowledge  and  for 
correction  —  to  himself  and  to  all  who  shall  read 
the  new  edition. 

For  the  reason  given  above,  even  this  book 
cannot  be  adequate  alike  to  the  bird-life  of  every 
quarter  in  so  large  an  area.  No  doubt  some 
birds,  not  described  in  these  pages,  will  be  found 
in  some  particular  place  to  be  more  or  less  com- 
mon. But,  using  all  known  means  of  assistance, 
it  is  believed,  after  a  careful  survey  of  the  region 
covered  by  the  title  of  this  book,  that  most  of 
the  common  land-birds  of  Oregon  and  Washing- 
ton are  here  described. 

In  this  new  publication,  more  than  thirty  have 
been  added  to  the  old  list  and  changes  (some  of 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington  1 5 

them  important)  have  been  made.  Particularly 
important  are  the  alterations  in  the  lists  of  birds 
under  the  former  headings,  "Peculiar,"  "Va- 
riety," and  « Identical." 

Some  of  the  changes  in  the  text  are  due  to 
the  recent  renaming  of  birds  on  the  authority 
of  the  American  Ornithologists'  Union,  e.  g.  the 
change  in  the  names  of  the  Gambel's  and  the 
Intermediate  White-crowned  Sparrows. 

The  author  closes  these  preliminary  state- 
ments with  acknowledgments  again  to  Mr.  A. 
W.  Anthony,  the  eminent  ornithologist  upon 
this  coast,  who  has  been  as  generous  and  helpful 
in  the  making  of  this  book  as  he  was  in  the 
making  of  the  first  one,  and  to  Mr.  Frank  M. 
Chapman,  the  distinguished  ornithologist  and 
assistant  curator  of  the  Department  of  Mam- 
malogy and  Ornithology  of  the  Museum  of  Nat- 
ural History,  New  York  City,  who  by  criticism 
and  suggestion  has  been  of  the  greatest  assis- 
tance. But  neither  he  nor  Mr.  Anthony  is 
responsible  for  any  errors  that  may  be  in  these 
pages ;  to  their  aid  rather,  will  be  due  the  ab- 
sence of  many  which  otherwise  might  be  found. 

The  author  is  anxious  to  make  it  possible  for 


1 6          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

all  who  own  the  first  edition  to  possess  the  re- 
vised, as  the  new  edition  is  very  carefully  cor- 
rected, considerably  enlarged  and  more  fully  and 
beautifully  illustrated.* 

*  The  author  and  publisher  has  therefore  authorized  his  agents, 
the  J.  K.Gill  Company,  Third  Street,  Portland,  Oregon,  to  exchange 
the  old  for  the  new  School  edition  for  35  cents  at  the  bookstore,  or 
42  cents  postpaid. 


CHAPTER  I. 

A  WORD  TO  BEGINNERS  AND  TEACHERS. 

A  WORD  to  beginners,  and  also  especially  to 
teachers  in  our  schools,  as  to  the  kind  of  inter- 
est in  birds  which  should  be  primarily  aroused 
and  cultivated. 

I  once  heard  a  high  school  graduate  read  an 
essay  upon  Browning's  "  How  They  Brought 
the  Good  News  from  Ghent  to  Aix,"  in  which 
that  splendid,  living  and  moving  poem,  after 
being  killed,  was  minutely  dissected.  The  es- 
sayist knew  just  where  Ghent  and  Aix  were  and 
just  the  length  of  the  ride  ;  but  of  consciousness 
of  the  beauty  in  the  human  struggle  so  strongly 
set  forth,  and  of  enthusiasm  for  it,  there  was 
not  a  trace.  Such  interest  in  birds  and  flowers 
we  may  awaken  in  others  and  be  led  into  our- 
selves, when,  with  the  eagerness  of  a  collector 
of  stamps  or  coins,  it  gets  to  be  a  morbid  passion 

17 


1 8  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

to  catalogue  our  "  finds,"  or  to  enter  a  rivalry  as 
to  who  knows  the  most  varieties  or  can  tell  the 
most  about  the  birds  of  our  own  and  other  locali- 
ties. Certainly  all  education  should  tend  to 
ennoble  character  and  furnish  the  sources  of  the 
highest  happiness.  If  this  be  the  end  sought, 
then  a  sympathetic  and  aesthetic  interest  is  the 
thing  we  must  seek  to  get  and  give,  in  our  pur- 
suit of  knowledge  of  birds. 

Indeed,  it  is  a  pursuit  fairly  dangerous  to  our 
own  possible  enjoyment,  when  we  set  out  with 
opera-glass  and  note-book  to  name  and  cata- 
logue the  birds,  lest  we  shall  be  less  satisfied  to 
listen  with  exquisite  satisfaction  to  some  superb 
singer,  than  to  get  his  description  in  our  note- 
books. It  is  not  a  tithe  as  important  that  we 
should  know  the  name  and  habits  of  a  bird  as 
that  we  should  answer  his  ecstasy  of  song  with 
ecstasy  of  delight.  Dr.  Henry  van  Dyke  has 
given  us  a  motto  for  the  societies  which  are  op- 
posing the  heartless  and  harmful  practice  of 
using  birds  for  millinery  purposes.  It  is  :  "  A 
bird  in  the  bush  is  worth  ten  in  the  hat." 
Should  not  every  bird-student  have  at  the  begin- 
ning of  his  note-book  some  sentiment  like  this  ? 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington  19 

"  A  bird  in  the  heart  is  worth  more  than  a  hun- 
dred in  the  note-book."  In  a  word,  let  us,  in  the 
study  of  birds,  learn  to  take  more  time  to  listen 
to  the  beauty  of  song  and  to  look  at  the  beauty 
of  form,  of  color  and  of  movement,  than  to  add 
their  names  to  our  lists  and  familiarize  ourselves 
with  their  curious  habits. 

It 's  little  I  can  tell 

About  the  birds  in  books ; 
And  yet  I  know  them  well, 

By  their  music  and  their  looks : 
When  May  comes  down  the  lane, 
Her  airy  lovers  throng 
To  welcome  her  with  song, 
And  follow  in  her  train  : 
Each  minstrel  weaves  his  part 
In  that  wild-flowery  strain, 
And  I  know  them  all  again 
By  their  echo  in  my  heart. 

—  Henry  van  Dyke. 

In  this  place  something  must  be  said  about 
the  desirability  of  making  collections  of  birds, 
eggs  and  nests. 

Let  us  admit  that  one  such  collection  for  pub- 
lic use  in  a  museum  is  necessary  for  each  town 
or  city.  Beyond  this  we  may  not  go.  But,  with 


2O  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

John  Burroughs  and  others,  collecting  is  dis- 
tinctly discouraged  in  this  little  book,  for  the 
following  reasons :  The  true  interest,  as  above 
indicated,  is  a  living  and  sympathetic  one.  And 
a  person  imperils  this  when,  for  the  sake  of  cabi- 
net-classification, he  takes  the  life  of  birds,  or 
robs  them  of  their  offspring,  even  though  the 
offspring  is  yet  undeveloped  in  the  egg.  Such 
work,  so  far  as  necessary,  should  be  left  to  the 
few  pure  scientists,  who,  if  their  hearts  are  right, 
will  pursue  their  object  with  a  deep  sense  of 
painful  necessity,  and  with  the  greatest  discre- 
tion. 

It  is  notorious  that  bird-collectors  are  apt  to 
become  perfectly  ruthless  in  their,  slaughter  of 
birds  and  spoliation  of  nests  —  actually  stripping 
whole  localities  of  every  egg  and  nest  of  certain 
species.  This  is  the  natural  consequence  of 
substituting  an  artificial  interest  for  a  natural 
and  sympathetic  one. 

Our  love  of  birds  can  never  be  shown  by  our 
mounted  collections  any  more  than  our  love  of 
children  could  be  shown  in  the  same  way. 

Then,  it  is  far  better  to  study  and  identify 
birds  in  the  fields  and  woods  than  in  a  museum. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington  2 1 

The  latter  is  easier,  it  is  true ;  but  it  is  too  easy 
for  the  true  bird-lover.  The  bird  should  be 
alive.  There  is  joy  in  bringing  a  living,  restless 
bird  to  our  eye,  and  in  noting  his  " markings" 
and  "  placing  "  him  afterward  by  means  of  book 
or  key,  that  cannot  be  gained  when  we  stand  in 
the  presence  of  a  labeled,  lifeless  creature.  In 
these  days  of  abundant  help  from  books  and 
fellow-students,  many  may  not  need  to  see  a  col- 
lection at  all. 

Again  as  the  interest  in  birds  is  becoming  ex- 
tensive and  is  being  taken  up  by  school  children, 
should  this  false  interest  be  allowed  to  arise, 
clearly  there  would  be  no  birds,  eggs  or  nests 
left. 


CHAPTER  II. 
THE  BIRDS  OF  OREGON  AND  WASHINGTON. 

THERE  are  no  birds  that  belong  to  Oregon 
and  Washington  alone.  All  of  the  kinds  found 
here  are  to  be  seen  up  and  down  the  coast  this 
side  of  the  Rocky  Mountains,  and  sometimes 
beyond,  within  certain  extended  limits.  By  the 
"  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington,"  we  mean 
the  birds  that  live  in  this  section  a  part,  or  the 
whole,  of  the  year,  These  differ  largely  from 
the  birds  east  of  the  Mississippi  River.  There 
are  many  species  which  are  altogether  unlike 
the  eastern  birds ;  while  some  remotely  re- 
semble their  eastern  relatives,  and  others  are 
so  much  like  them  that  they  seem,  to  an 
untrained  eye,  to  be  exactly  the  same.  But 
in  the  varieties  which  so  nearly  correspond, 
there  is  a  difference,  for  the  most  part,  in  size, 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington  2  3 

in  form,  in  color  and  perhaps  in  song.  The 
birds  on  this  coast  are  probably,  on  the  average, 
larger  than  the  same  birds  over  the  mountains, 
and,  in  general,  within  the  rainy  belt,  the  colors 
are  darker.  The  difference  in  hue  may  be 
accounted  for  by  the  fact  that  there  is  less  sun- 
shine here.  Some  of  the  same,  or  correspond- 
ing varieties  do  not  sing  quite  as  much  as  do 
the  eastern  birds.  Again,  birds  of  correspond- 
ing kinds  are  not  generally  so  numerous  here  as 
further  east  —  though  some  varieties,  common 
to  both  sections,  are  more  numerous  than  in  the 
Atlantic  States.  Song-birds  are  characteristic 
of  inhabited  lands,  and  multiply  in  proportion  to 
human  habitations  in  country  districts.  They 
must  have  open  country,  shrubs,  hedges,  decidu- 
ous trees  of  low  and  high  growth,  and  the 
protection  of  man.  If  the  Pacific  States  use 
diligent  care,  in  a  few  years  the  song-birds  of 
this  coast  will  be  abundant. 

I  say  above  that  there  are  many  birds  on  this 
part  of  the  Pacific  coast  unlike  those  on  the 
Atlantic.  In  this  book,  I  have  described  or 
mentioned  about  one  hundred  and  fifty  of  the 
birds  of  this  section.  All  but  about  a  dozen  are 


24.'         Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Land-birds,  and  the  list  covers  nearly  all  of  this 
class  that  are,  in  most  localities,  common. 

Now  of  these  one  hundred  and  forty  and 
more  species,  or  sub-species,  of  birds,  nearly  one 
hundred  belong  to  the  region  of  country  west  of 
the  Mississippi  Valley;  of  the  latter,  forty-five 
are  altogether  confined  to  the  Pacific  Slope  and 
a  few  of  the  forty-five  to  the  North  Pacific 
Slope ;  leaving  about  fifty  identical  in  kind  with 
eastern  varieties.  The  lists  thus  indicated  are 
given  at  the  end  of  this  chapter  under  the  head- 
ings "Pacific"  —meaning  species  or  sub-species 
confined  to  the  Pacific  Slope;  "  Western" 
meaning  species  or  sub-species  found  upon  the 
Pacific  coast,  but  extending  further  east,  some 
of  them  into  the  Mississippi  Valley ;  and  "  Iden- 
tical "  —meaning,  of  course,  the  same  on  both 
sides  of  the  continent. 

One  species  at  least,  the  Western  Meadow- 
lark,  is  found  at  a  little  distance  beyond  the 
Mississippi  River  but  it  makes  no  nearer  ap- 
proach to  the  Atlantic  side ;  another,  Traill's 
Flycatcher,  is  seen  as  far  east  as  Ohio,  but  does 
not  cross  the  Alleghany  Mountains. 

In  the  back  of  the  book  will  be  found,  for  the 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          25 


use  of  scientific  students,  a  table  of  the  birds 
herein  described,  arranged  in  scientific  order, 
with  the  Latin  names,  as  given  up  to  date  in 
the  Check-list  of  the  American  Ornithologists' 
Union, 

PACIFIC. 


Pacific  Kittiwake. 
Glaucous-winged  Gull. 
Western  Gull. 
Short-billed  Gull. 
Black  Merlin.     (Hawk). 
Kennicott's  Screech  Owl. 
MacFarlane's  Screech  Owl. 
Dusky  Horned  Owl. 
California  Pygmy  Owl. 
Harris's  Woodpecker. 
Gairdner's  Woodpecker. 
Red-breasted  Sapsucker. 
Northwestern  Flicker. 
Poorwill. 
Vaux's  Swift. 
Allen's  Hummingbird. 
Streaked  Horned  Lark. 
Dusky  Horned  Lark. 
Steller's  Jay. 
California  Jay. 
Gray  Jay. 
Northwest  Crow. 
Bicolored  Blackbird. 

Western 


California  Purple  Finch. 

Willow  Goldfinch. 

Oregon   Vesper   Sparrow,  or 

Bay-winged  Bunting. 
NuttalPs  Sparrow. 
Golden -crowned  Sparrow. 
Oregon  Junco. 
Rusty  Song  Sparrow. 
Townsend's  Sparrow. 
Oregon  Towhee. 
Western  Martin. 
Cassin's  Vireo.^ 
Pacific  Yellow-throat. 
Parkman's  Wren. 
Sierra  Creeper. 
Oregon  Chickadee. 
Chestnut-backed    Chickadee. 
Coast  Wren-Tit. 
Bush-Tit. 
Western  Golden-crowned 

Kinglet. 

Russet-backed  Thrush. 
Varied  Thrush. 
Bluebird. 


26          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 


WESTERN. 


California  Gull. 
Band-tailed  Pigeon. 
Western  Red-tailed  Hawk. 
Swainson's  Hawk. 
Ferruginous  Rough -legged 

Hawk. 

Desert  Sparrow-Hawk. 
Burrowing  OwTl. 
California  Cuckoo. 
California!!  Woodpecker. 
Lewis's  Woodpecker. 
Red-shafted  Flicker. 
Western  Nighthawk. 
Black  Swift. 

Black-chinned  Hummingbird. 
Rufous  Hummingbird. 
Calliope  Hummingbird. 
Arkansas  Kingbird. 
Say's  Phoebe. 
Western  Black  Phoebe. 
Western  Wood  Pewee. 
Western  Flycatcher. 
Traill's  Flycatcher. 
American  Magpie. 
American  Raven. 
Clarke's  Nutcracker. 
Pinon  Jay. 
Yellow-headed  Blackbird. 

Mountain 


Western  Meadowlark. 
Bullock's  Oriole. 
Brewer's  Blackbird. 
Western  Evening  Grosbeak. 
Arkansas  Goldfinch. 
Western  Savanna  Sparrow. 
Western  Lark  Sparrow, 
Gambel's  Sparrow. 
Western  Chipping  Sparrow. 
Black -headed  Grosbeak. 
Lazuli  Bunting. 
Louisiana  Tanager. 
Violet-green  Swallow. 
Lutescent  Warbler. 
Audubon's  Warbler. 
Black-throated  Gray 

Warbler. 

Macgillivray's  Warbler. 
Long-tailed  Chat. 
Pileolated  Warbler. 
American  Dipper. 
Sage  Thrasher. 
Rock  Wren. 

Northwestern  Vigors's  Wren. 
Western  Winter  Wren. 
Tule  Wren. 

Slender-billed  Nuthatch. 
Western  Robin. 
Bluebird. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 
IDENTICAL. 


American  Herring  Gull. 
Ring-billed  Gull. 
Bonaparte's  Gull. 
Arctic  Tern. 
Black  Tern. 
American  Bittern. 
Great  Blue  Heron. 
Green  Heron. 
Northern  Phalarope. 
Least  Sandpiper. 
Red -backed  Sandpiper. 
Western  Sandpiper. 
Killdeer. 
Mourning  Dove. 
Marsh-Hawk. 
Sharp -shinned  Hawk. 
Cooper's  Hawk. 
American  Rough-legged 

Hawk. 

Golden  Eagle. 
Bald  Eagle. 
Pigeon-Hawk. 
American  Osprey. 
Short-eared  Owl. 
Belted  Kingfisher. 


Northern  Pileated  Wood- 
pecker. 
Kingbird. 

Olive-sided  Flycatcher. 
Skylark. 

American  Crow. 
Starling. 

Red-winged  Blackbird. 
American  Crossbill. 
Redpoll. 
Pine  Siskin. 
Snow  flake. 
English  Sparrow. 
Cliff  Swallow. 
Barn  Swrallow. 
Tree  Swallow. 
Bank  Swallow. 
Rough-winged  Swallow. 
Cedar  Waxwing. 
Warbling  Vireo. 
Yellow  Warbler. 
Myrtle  Warbler. 
American  Pipit. 
Red-breasted  Nuthatch. 
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet . 


CHAPTER  III. 
How  TO  KNOW  THE  BIRDS. 

As  the  most  attractive  thing  about  a  bird  is 
its  song,  our  first  care  must  be  to  learn  to  listen 
to  the  various  beautiful  notes  of  all  the  different 
birds  that  we  may  hear  in  any  country  place  or 
open  city  spot. 

To  learn  to  really  know  bird-songs,  is  to  hear 
them  without  effort  and  by  habit,  wherever  we 
may  be  and  whatever  we  are  doing.  A  bird- 
lover  will  hear  a  score  of  different  songs  while 
he  talks  with  a  friend,  or  reads  a  book ;  for  it 
is  one  of  the  delights  of  one  who  has  come  into 
sympathetic  touch  with  bird-life  that  he  can 
respond  to  every  sweet  song  without  having  his 
attention  diverted  from  his  usual  tasks.  The 
habit  of  closed  ears  and  heart  to  this  ministry  of 
bird-song  is  characteristic  of  most  people.  Some 
of  us  have  sat  in  a  room  in  June,  and  have  been 

28 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          29 

asked  by  friends  whether  there  were  any  birds 
about  that  particular  spot,  while,  with  the  win- 
dows open,  not  less  than  ten  varieties  of  birds 
were  pouring  their  melodies  into  the  unattend- 
ing ears  of  these  people,  who  have  never  been 
accustomed  to  listen. 

First,  then,  learn  to  listen !  Then  learn  to 
see ! 

Birds  are  beautiful  on  account  of  their  color, 
though  in  some  kinds  it  sometimes  seems  dull 
and  even  ugly.  Beautiful  are  they,  too,  in  shape 
and  in  movement.  Learn  to  love  all  these  qual- 
ities, if  you  would  truly  know  all  about  the  birds. 
There  are  the  nesting  fashions  that  you  will,  by 
and  by,  want  to  watch  with  sympathetic  inter- 
est and  helpful  attention  —  sometimes  furnishing 
material  for  the  roofless  cottage  in  the  tree,  as 
you  may.  But  in  the  Beginning  your  attention 
will  most  naturally  and  profitably  be  given  to 
the  song  and  the  appearance  of  the  birds.  It 
is  to  help  you  in  taking  these  first  steps  that 
this  "  First  Book  upon  the  Birds  of  Oregon  and 
Washington  "  is  written. 

How,  then,  shall  you  best  learn  to  know  birds 
by  their  songs  and  their  looks  ?  You  will  learn 


30          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

to  listen  and  learn  to  look  by  listening  and  look- 
ing—  not  alone  when  you  go  out  to  find  the 
birds,  but  when  you  pass  along  your  usual  walks, 
even  in  the  streets  of  a  city  as  large  as  Portland 
or  Seattle. 

In  the  bird  season,  from  March  into  July,  you' 
need  not  go  far  to  hear  beautiful  songs  and  see 
several  varieties  of  birds.  If  you  are  bent  upon 
describing  and  learning  the  names  of  the  birds, 
go  where  the  birds  are,  taking  with  you  a 
pair  of  sharp  eyes,  and  better,  even  with  these, 
a  pair  of  opera  or  field-glasses.  And  then  go 
slow ! 

You  should  often  wait  for  the  birds  to  come 
to  you,  while  you  stand,  or  sit,  near  a  dead  tree, 
or  a  tVee  with  a  dead  top,  in  an  open  space.  In 
an  hour,  eight  or  ten  varieties  have  been  known 
to  visit  such  a  tree  for  the  bird-student.  Let 
your  movements  be  quiet  as  you  go  about. 
Raise  your  glasses  slowly.  A  hasty  motion  will 
frighten  the  object  of  your  attention.  You 
should  have  a  note-book  with  leaves  made  some- 
thing after  the  pattern  of  the  one  in  the  back  of 
this  book,  and  put  down  the  best  description 
that  you  can  of  the  several  birds  that  you  see ; 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          3 1 

then,  by  the  aid  of  this  book,  or  another,  find  the 
names  of  the  birds  whose  size,  color,  etc.,  you 
have  thus  noted.  Do  not  undertake  to  name  too 
many  at  once.  Get  thoroughly  acquainted  with 
the  looks  and  the  song  (if  the  birds  have  a  song) 
of  two  or  three  varieties  before  you  anxiously 
try  to  place  others.  It  is  easy  to  get  confused 
at  first. 

The  best  time  of  day  is,  of  course,  the  early 
morning  or  the  late  afternoon  hours. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

How  BIRDS  ARE  DESCRIBED  IN  THIS  BOOK. 

NOTE  i.  The  order  in  which  the  birds  are 
taken  is  mainly  that  of  interest  and  discovery, 
rather  than  the  artificial  one  of  ornithological 
classification.  The  latter  association  is  left  for 
later  study. 

After  naming  each  variety  of  bird,  there  is 
first  given  a  "General  Description,"  which  is  in- 
tended to  answer  to  the  first  more  superficial 
impression  which  one  receives  of  a  bird,  not 
having  had  time  to  see  in  detail  what  it  is  like. 
A  more  "Particular  Description"  follows,  but 
one  not  too  particular  or  technical  for  the  aid  of 
young  people,  or  of  those  who  lack  the  ability 
to  use  easily  scientific  terms. 

NOTE  2.  By  "length"  of  a  bird  we  mean  the 
distance  from  end  of  bill  to  tip  of  tail,  were  the 
bird  dead  and  stretched  out.  The  living  bird  is, 


34          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

of  course,  not  so  long,  and  allowance  must  be 
made. 

In  measuring  birds  by  the  eye,  it  is  well  to 
take  for  our  standards  the  Robin  and  the  English 
Sparrow  ;  and  say,  for  example,  "  Two-thirds  the 
size  of  the  Robin,"  or  a  "  little  larger  "  or  "a 
little  smaller  than  an  English  Sparrow,"  etc. 

NOTE  3.  In  order  to  assist  beginners  in  the 
identification  of  birds,  there  will  be  found  at  the 
end  of  the  book  two  "  Keys,"  one  for  size,  and 
one  for  color  for  male  birds  only ;  the  females 
must  be  recognized  through  their  association 
with  the  males. 

I  give  here  an  example  of  the  manner  of  using 
the  Keys  :  Suppose  you  do  not  know  the  Audu- 
bon's  Warbler,  which  is  small,  length  5  y2  inches  ; 
soft  gray  above ;  with  yellow  crown,  yellow  side- 
patches  on  breast ;  yellow  throat  and  yellow 
rump  ;  breast,  black  and  white  streaked.  After 
seeing  it  and  writing  down  a  description  of  the 
bird,  to  help  your  memory,  look  at  the  "  Size 
Key  "  and  find  the  birds  that  are  smaller  "  than 
the  English  Sparrow,"  for  you  know  that  the 
bird  must  be  in  that  list.  That  list  will  include 
thirty-three  names.  Then  look  in  the  Key  for 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          3  5 

Color  for  "  Birds  Markedly  Yellow  or  Orange," 
and  you  will  find  among  them  only  seven  of  the 
thirty-three  in  the  list  on  size  which  you  have 
just  consulted.  The  bird  must  be  one  of  the 
seven.  Find  in  the  Index,  in  turn,  the  names  of 
these  seven  birds  ;  then  refer  to  the  pages  where 
descriptions  of  these  birds  are  given,  and  in  a 
few  minutes  you  will  have  identified  your  bird. 

Another  example  :  Suppose  it  were  Steller's 
Jay  that  you  had  found ;  you  would  look  in  the 
Key  for  Size  for  "  Birds  much  larger  than  the 
Robin  " ;  then  turn  to  the  Key  for  Color  to  the 
list  under  "  Blue  and  Bluish." 

At  the  end  of  the  book  will  be  found  two 
models  for  making  a  note-book  for  writing  down 
descriptions  of  birds.  One,  for  a  "  General  De- 
scription," to  be  used  when  the  bird  has  been 
seen  only  in  a  general  and  superficial  way ;  the 
other,  for  a  "  Particular  Description,"  and  to  be 
used  for  more  detailed  observations.*  The 

*The  model  for  the  Particular  Description  is  based  upon  the 
"  Topographical  Bird,"  to  be  seen  at  the  beginning  of  this  chapter. 
The  bird  is  kindly  furnished  by  Mr.  F.  M.  Chapman,  in  order  to 
enable  students  in  Oregon  and  Washington  to  use  the  "  Bird-Lore's 
Field  Identification  Blank,"  prepared  by  Mr.  Chapman,  and  sold  at 
about  cost.  For  ten  cents,  these  books  will  be  sent  postpaid  by  the 
J.  Horace  McFarland  Company,  Harnsburg,  Pennsylvania. 


36          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

models  are  followed  by  a  number  of  blank 
leaves,  upon  which  may  be  kept  the  growing  list 
of  birds  as  they  are  learned.  They  may  also  be 
useful  for  other  permanent  notes,  such  as  notes 
upon  migrations,  arrivals  and  departures ;  upon 
the  birds  which  we  see  in  early  or  in  mid-winter, 
etc. 


CHAPTER  V. 

How  TO  NAME  THE  BIRDS. 

THE  order  in  which  the  birds  are  taken  in  this 
book  is  elsewhere  stated  to  be  "  mainly  that  of 
interest  and  discovery  rather  than  the  one  of 
artificial  classification." 

Applying  this  principle  here,  those  birds  are, 
to  a  considerable  extent,  taken  first  which  are 
most  attractive  in  point  of  beauty  or  habit,  and 
which  are  also  sufficiently  common  to  be,  on  all 
sides,  evident. 

"  Discovery,"  however,  must  wait  upon  sea- 
sons,— and  thus  the  "seasonal"  idea  must  in 
some  important  degree  determine  our  order. 
Yet  a  strictly  "  seasonal  order  "  is  not  always 
convenient  for  the  student.  And,  therefore,  in 
some  instances,  especially  where  different  species 
of  the  same  family  of  birds  are  all  present  in  a 
locality  at  one  time,  and  through  experience  are 
already  associated  in  the  minds  of  people,  though 


38          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

some  are  permanent  and  others  are  only  sum- 
mer residents,  they  are  treated  together  as  a 
family,  and  then  individually  in  succession,  as, 
for  example,  the  Wrens  and  the  Gulls. 

The  season  which  the  author  has  in  mind,  in 
beginning  the  following  descriptions,  is  for  the 
latitude  of  southern  Oregon,  January  2Oth  ;  for 
Portland,  February  i  st ;  and  for  northern  Wash- 
ington, February  loth  to  i5th. 

The  seasons  are  supposed  to  move  on,  in  the 
book,  with  the  months,  till  one  arrives  at  the 
"Winter  Birds."  We  should  remember,  how- 
ever, that  the  summer  birds,  are,  for  the  most 
part,  to  be  observed  by  July  ist. 

For  a  full  course  of  study,  the  student  is 
referred  to  the  last  chapter  of  the  book,  "A 
Course  of  Study  upon  Birds  for  Schools  and 
Bird-Students." 

Now  let  us  try  to  name  about  one  hundred 
and  fifty  varieties  of  birds  to  be  heard  and  seen 
in  some  part  of  the  territory  for  which  this  book 
is  prepared. 

THE   WESTERN  ROBIN. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  black  head  and  gray  back. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          39 

Under  parts :  rufous  or  reddish. 
Length:   10.5  inches. 
Found  in  open  country  and  orchards. 

"  Everybody  knows  the  Robin,"  you  will  say. 
"  Why  trouble  to  tell  us  anything  about  him  ? " 
Do  you  really  know  much  about  him  ?  Are  you 
sure  you  know  his  song  ?  Not  if  you  think  all 
Robins  sing  alike.  They  do  not,  any  more  than 
all  people  who  sing,  sing  alike.  If  you  listen  to 
the  several  Robins  that  you  may  hear  upon  some 
fine  morning,  notice  how  their  voices  are  like 
human  voices,  in  that  some  are  sweeter,  far 
sweeter,  than  others.  The  Robin  belongs  to  the 
Thrush  family,  and  sometimes  one  gives  us  what 
you  may  recognize  for  its  peculiarly  enchanting 
quality —  a  Thrush-song.  The  Robin  is  a  "  com- 
mon "  bird,  but  he  is  like  children  —  not  to  be 
despised  on  that  account.  The  farmers  some- 
times hate  him  and  kill  him  as  an  enemy,  being 
unwilling  to  allow  him  the  comparatively  small 
pay  he  asks  for  the  unmeasured  good  he  does 
them  in  the  quantities  of  harmful  worms  he  de- 
vours. A  pair  of  Robins  sometimes  take  more 
than  one  hundred  cut-worms  in  a  day  for  them- 
selves and  their  young. 


40          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

After  nesting  time,  Robins  are  rovers,  and  in 
large  flocks  may  be  seen  in  every  part  of  the 
country. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head  and  tail,  black- 
ish ;  throat,  white,  streaked  with  black ;  eyelids,  white  ; 
back,  gray ;  breast,  rufous  or  reddish  ;  abdomen  and 
under  tail-coverts,  white.  The  young  have  speckled 
breasts. 

Nearly  all  Robins  are  migratory ;  some  spend 
the  winter  south  of  Oregon,  and  some  coming 
from  further  north  remain  with  us.  A  few  may 
be  permanent  residents.  In  early  February  the 
northern  migration  begins,  and  an  occasional 
song  may  be  heard.  In  March  the  Robins  will 
welcome  every  dawn  and  early  riser. 

THE   WESTERN   MEADOWLARK. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  brownish-gray. 

Under  parts  :  yellow  and  black. 

Length,  10  inches  and  more. 
Found  in  open  fields. 

If  this  part  of  our  country  had  no  bird  except 
the  Meadowlark,  it  would,  in  respect  of  bird- 
song,  be  blessed  above  any  other  land  I  know. 
Such  a  rarely  beautiful,  endlessly  varied  and 


Western  Meadowlark. 


m 


i 


42  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

wonderfully  incessant  singer !  No  bird  any- 
where has  a  fuller  or  richer  note  ;  none  such 
variety  of  songs,  except,  perhaps,  the  Mocking- 
bird ;  none  like  this  bird  makes  varied  and  joy- 
ous melody  in  summer  and  in  winter,  too ;  in 
rain,  in  snow,  in  cold.  Not  a  day  in  the  winter 
of  1900  and  1901,  have  Meadowlarks  upon  a 
hill  near  Portland  failed  to  voice  the  happiness, 
or  bid  depart  the  gloom,  of  their  human  neigh- 
bors. No  one  knows  the  bird  until  he  has  lis- 
tened to  the  many  different  songs  that  he  sings 
while  perched  upon  tree  or  fence,  or  again  upon 
a  telegraph  pole,  or  even  upon  the  ridgepole  of  a 
house ;  nor  yet  unless  he  has  caught  a  peculiar 
and  most  rapturous  song  while  the  bird  is  on  the 
wing — a  song  so  unlike  those  we  are  accustomed 
to  that  it  seems  not  to  have  been  uttered  by  a 
Meadowlark  at  all. 

The  variety  of  the  songs  of  the  Meadowlark 
upon  this  coast,  counting  songs  in  different 
localities,  seems  limitless.  The  birds  in  one 
locality  jnay  not  exceed  twenty  varieties  of  song, 
but  a  few  miles  in  any  direction  will  add,  prob- 
ably, twenty  more,  etc.  I  have  heard  at  Forest 
Grove,  in  Oregon,  five  new  songs  from  the  same 


/fT\   X7\      M 


/i 


44          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

bird,  in  the  course  of  twenty  minutes,  and  in  the 
suburbs  of  Tacoma,  as  many  others,  in  the  same 
time,  from  a  Meadowlark  there.  The  song  goes 
from  a  clear,  flute-like  whistle,  through  distinct 
and  varied  melodies,  to  a  brilliant  roulade  —  the 
latter,  as  I  have  before  indicated,  being  executed 
upon  the  wing. 

Ernest  Seton-Thompson  says  of  the  Meadow- 
lark,  in  his  "  Birds  of  Manitoba,"  "  In  richness 
of  voice  and  modulation  it  equals  or  excels  both 
Wood  Thrush  and  Nightingale,  and  in  the  beauty 
of  its  articulation  it  has  no  superior  in  the  whole 
world  of  feathered  choristers  with  which  I  am 
acquainted."  This  is  high  praise,  and  yet  I  sus- 
pect that  he  could  not  have  heard  the  variety  of 
song  in  that  part  of  the  continent  which  the 
same  bird  (as  classified  by  ornithologists)  gives 
on  this  coast.  At  all  events,  the  Meadowlarks 
of  Minnesota,  when  I  heard  them,  though  beau- 
tiful, as  Mr.  Seton-Thompson  describes  them,  as 
far  as  they  went,  failed  to  attract  me  by  the 
variety  of  music  that  I  instantly  noticed  here. 

But  his  estimation  of  the  quality,  modulation 
and  articulation  of  the  song  of  the  bird  that  he 
heard,  is  not  overdone,  unless,  perhaps,  we  ought, 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington  45 

in  justice,  to  say  of  the  bird,  there  and  here,  that 
its  only  blemish  as  a  singer  is  that  it  usually 
ends  its  melody  too  abruptly.  The  Wood 
Thrush,  to  which  Mr.  Seton-Thompson  refers, 
lets  its  final  note  melt  into  the  air.  Still,  at 
times  and  at  a  little  distance,  I  have  heard  an 
extraordinary  singer  among  our  Meadowlarks 
give  the  effect  of  the  Hermit  Thrush  of  the 
Eastern  States  —  that  bird  which  John  Burroughs 
calls  the  most  spiritual  of  singers. 

The  Meadowlark  of  the  East,  though  almost 
the  same  as  ours  in  color,  size  and  form,  has, 
in  comparison,  a  very  thin,  though  sweet,  voice 
and  a  more  unvaried  song ;  it  is  never  seen 
so  near  human  dwellings  as  is  the  Western 
Meadowlark. 

This  bird  nests  in  the  grass,  and  early  in  the 
season.  Its  young  are  sometimes  on  the  wing 
by  May  25th. 

It  should  be  stated  here  that  the  Meadowlark, 
though  called  a  "  Lark,"  is,  properly  speaking, 
not  a  Lark  at  all,  but  belongs  to  the  Oriole 
family. 

During  the  past  year,  my  wife  has  written 
down  a  few  of  the  songs  of  these  birds,  heard 


46          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

from  our  window,  and  seven  of  them  are  here 
given  by  way  of  suggestion. 

Through  the  kindness  of  Mr.  A.  F.  Hofer,  of 
Chicago,  and  of  his  son,  Mr.  A.  F.  Hofer,  Jr., 
of  Salem,  Oregon,  I  have,  in  my  possession 
thirty-one  Meadowlark  songs  noted  down  by  the 
former,  who  was  once  a  bandmaster  in  Germany, 
and  as  a  boy  in  the  Black  Forest  was  gifted 
with  powers  to  imitate  the  most  difficult  bird- 
songs.  Upon  a  second  page,  four  of  the  most 
striking  and  characteristic  of  these  songs  (I.) 
are  given,  with  three  more  (II.)  taken  from 
some  published  in  the  "  Auk,"  January,  1896,  by 
Mr.  L.  Belding,  who  wrote  them  down  in  Grid- 
ley,  California. 

Mr.  Hofer  heard  all  but  three  of  the  thirty- 
one  songs  mentioned,  near  Salem,  Oregon.  He 
says  of  these  birds,  "  I  never  heard  more  than 
one  sing  the  same  notes,  although  several  sang 
in  the  same  key,  yet  with  a  different  rhythm.'* 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head,  back  and  tail, 
brownish-gray,  streaked  with  lighter  shade,  with  a  pale 
line  down  the  top  of  head  and  another  over  the  eye ;  all 
below,  yellow,  with  a  black  crescent  upon  the  breast ; 
sides,  gray,  streaked  with  brown. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          47 

To  be  found  always  in  farm-fields  and  in  all 
open  places  about  towns  and  cities. 

To  a  considerable  extent,  a  permanent  resi- 
dent. 


THE   WESTERN   EVENING  GROSBEAK. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Old  gold,  nearly  all  over ;  large  white  patches  on 

wings ;  very  large  bill. 
Length,  8  inches. 

Found  about  towns  and  country  places  some  seasons 
from  February  into  May. 

This  is  the  most  beautiful  late  winter  and 
spring  bird  in  our  section,  and  one  of  the  most 
beautiful  birds  that  we  have  at  any  time  of  the 
year.  The  Grosbeak  comes  from  homes  largely 
unknown,  from  the  Coast  Range,  the  Cascade 
Mountains,  and  perhaps,  in  part,  from  the  Sier- 
ras. No  one  has  yet  found  their  nesting-places. 
Only  two  or  three  nests  have  been  reported,  and 
these  were  apparently  accidental,  but  the  birds 
have  been  seen  at  nesting-time  in  the  Cascade 
Mountains  in  southern  Oregon,  by  A.  W. 
Anthony,  and  Messrs.  Finley,  Bohlman,  and 
Nicholas  had  evidence  of  their  presence  in  the 


48          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Coast  Range  Mountains  in  June,  1901.  They 
leave  their  summer  feeding-ground,  when  severe 
winters  drive  them  to  the  open  country  of  west- 
ern Oregon  and  Washington,  here  to  thrive  upon 
abundant  food  which  they  find  in  maple  tree 
seeds,  etc.  The  huge  size  of  the  bill  indicates 
the  use  which  these  birds  make  of  them  in  crack- 
ing pine  cones. 

Though  nesting  so  far  from  the  habitation  of 
man,  they  are  wondrously  tame,  as  they  appear 
in  flocks  in  our  City  Parks,  and  upon  our  lawns. 
So  friendly  already,  it  is  easy  to  win  further  their 
confidence,  and  induce  them  to  eat  out  of  the 
hand.  A  lady  of  Oregon  City,  in  the  winter  of 
1898—99,  succeeded  in  bringing  numbers  of  these 
beautiful  birds  to  sit  upon  her  arms,  hands  and 
lap.  The  writer  has  two  pictures  of  this  win- 
some woman  with  the  Grosbeaks  thus  confidingly 
resting  upon  her  person.  One  of  these  pictures 
is  given  in  these  pages.  In  the  winter  of 
1900-01  some  of  the  same  birds  returned 
after  two  years'  absence,  --  the  identification 
being  established  by  certain  unmistakable  marks, 
like  the  blindness  of  one  in  one  eye,  and  the 
misshapen  leg  of  another. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington  49 

The  explanation  of  the  fearlessness  of  these 
birds  is  found  in  the  fact  that  they  are  not  fa- 
miliar enough  with  the  bird-stoning  and  killing 
propensities  of  human  beings  to  keep  at  a  safe 
distance.  Every  wild  and  fearful  bird  is  a  sad 
comment  upon  the  savage  treatment  bird-life  has 
received  at  the  hands  of  man.  And  every  such 
familiar  intercourse  as  that  between  this  bird- 
lover  in  Oregon  City  and  the  birds,  indicates 
what,  if  we  will,  may  be  the  future  relation  be- 
tween us  and  these  angels  of  song  and  beauty. 

The  Evening  Grosbeak  has  no  song  proper 
while  with  us,  but  has  such  a  musical  conversa- 
tional note  that  we  long  some  day  to  come  upon 
the  quiet  family  in  their  summer  homes  ;  where 
if  their  love-song  is  one-half  as  sweet  as  the 
songs  of  other  Grosbeaks,  we  know  it  must  be 
sweet  indeed. 

These  birds  must  be  very  numerous,  as  re- 
ports from  different  parts  of  these  States  show 
that,  in  large  flocks,  they  cover  a  wide  territory. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male :  Crown,  black ; 
neck,  sides  of  head,  throat,  breast,  and  abdomen, 
rich  olive-yellow  or  old  gold  ;  color  darker  on  back,  shad- 
ing lighter  yellow  to  tail-coverts  ;  white  patch  on  wings ; 


5O  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

yellow  line  on  forehead,  extending  over  each  eye ;  black 
upper  tail-coverts  and  tail,  and  outer  wing-parts ;  light 
yellow  under  tail-coverts. 

Female :  Prevailing  color,   buffy  or  yellowish-brown 
instead  of  old  gold,  with  small  white  spots  on  wings. 

Transient  resident. 


THE   RUSTY  SONG   SPARROW. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  rusty  brown. 

Under  parts :  breast,  white,  dashed  with  long 
brown  spots,  with  a  larger  dusky  spot  in  the 
center. 

Length,  6  inches. 
Found  in  hedges  and  low  growths. 

Every  part  of  temperate  North  America  has  a 
Song  Sparrow  of  some  variety.  Eastern  Oregon 
and  Washington  have  one  that  is  distinguished 
for  his  dark,  rusty  color,  except  upon  his 
breast,  which  resembles  that  of  the  other  mem- 
bers of  the  Song  Sparrow  family  in  that  it  is 
grayish-white  in  background,  with  frequent  dark 
brown  spots,  and  a  larger  dash  of  the  same  color 
in  the  center. 

This  little  bird  is,  in  a  number  of  respects,  in 
great  contrast  with  the  White-crowned  Sparrow, 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington  5  l 

which  will  be  with  us  in  April,  and  will  be  de- 
scribed later.  While  the  White-crowned  Spar- 
row usually  sits  quietly  and  moves  somewhat 
sedately,  the  Rusty  Song  Sparrow  has  a  nervous, 
twitching  movement  (not  unlike  the  Wren),  with 
something  akin  to  a  fretful  air,  with  head  feath- 
ers somewhat  erectile  and  tail  elevated,  indicat- 
ing disturbance.  Again,  while  the  White- 
crowned  Sparrow  sings  inveterately,  the  Rusty 
Song  Sparrow  is  a  little  chary  of  exhibiting  his 
fine  vocal  powers.  But,  when  he  does  sing,  his 
voice  does  credit  to  the  Song  Sparrow  family  — 
the  members  of  which  everywhere  are  notably 
sweet  musicians.  He  is  often  found  with  us  in 
the  winter  time,  and  occasionally  his  song  may 
be  heard  on  a  sunny  day. 

These  Sparrows  may  be  found  in  hedges, 
shrubs  and  trees  of  low  growth.  When  they 
sing,  they  mount  to  the  top  of  some  shoot  taller 
than  the  rest,  and  can  be  easily  seen  and  studied 
through  the  glass. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. — All  above,  rusty-brown ; 
the  breast,  as  described  above;  abdomen,  grayish-white. 

Partly  a  permanent,  and  partly  a  summer,  resi- 
dent. 


52          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 
THE  RED-SHAFTED  FLICKER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  brown,  barred  with  black,  with 
white  rump. 

Under  parts :  light  reddish-white,  spotted  with 
black  ;  under  the  wings,  salmon-red.  A  con- 
spicuous black  "crescent  on  breast. 

Length,  12  to  13  inches. 

Found  everywhere,  very  often  about  houses. 

It  is  necessary  to  give  the  next  place  to  the 
familiar,  cheery,  beautiful  and  altogether  splendid 
Woodpecker,  that  haunts  town  and  country 
alike,  sometimes  rapping  upon  houses  with  his 
strong  bill,  entering  them  through  open  win- 
dows, and  even  occasionally  forcing  his  way  in 
through  doors  which  he  has  made  for  himself,  if 
left  undisturbed  in  his  work.  This  bird  is 
familiarly  known  as  uthe  Flicker."  He  has 
many  other  names  in  other  parts  of  the  country, 
and  is  here  sometimes  called  the  "  Yellowham- 
mer,"  after  his  eastern  cousin — though  the  name 
is  misapplied,  since  the  Flicker  of  this  coast  has 
red  or  salmon  color  in  place  of  the  yellow  which 
is  characteristic  of  the  eastern  species.  "  Red- 
hammer  "  would  be  the  appropriate  name  for 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington  5  3 

this  prying  creature,  which  hammers  so  often 
and  so  vigorously  against  tree  or  house.  And 
as  his  eastern  cousin  is  sometimes  called  the 
"Yellow-shafted  "  Woodpecker,  we  may  call  this 
the  "  Red-shafted  Woodpecker." 

Notice  his  loud  call,  salute  or  signal,  from 
some  high  perch  :  "  Kee-yer,  kee-yer."  In  spring 
and  sometimes  at  other  seasons,  his  "  Wick, 
wick,  wick,  wick,"  rapidly  repeated,  may  be  often 
heard ;  and  his  soft  affectionate  "  Whee-hew, 
whee-hew,  whee-hew "  during  courtship  or  in 
friendly  company.  This  bird  is  beautiful  in 
color,  in  form,  and  in  movement,  whether  the 
movement  be  on  the  wing,  in  undulating  flight, 
or  while  searching  the  bark  of  a  tree  for  grubs 
or  ants.  It  is  a  question  how  far  our  objections 
to  this  splendid  bird's  noise  about  our  houses, 
and  forcible  entrance  into  them,  might  be  re- 
moved, if  we  came  to  love  him  as  we  do  the 
domestic  pets,  whose  pother  and  destructiveness 
we  put  up  with.  The  Flicker  nests  in  holes  in 
trees,  which  he  makes  with  his  strong  bill. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male  and  female: 
Head  and  neck,  gray  (Anthony  says,  "  rarely  with  red 
crescent  across  back  of  neck ") ;  back,  grayish-brown 


54          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

and  barred  with  black ;  rump,  white ;  tail,  black  above 
and  salmon  below ;  mustaches  in  the  male,  red ;  breast 
and  under  parts,  soiled  white,  or  very  pale  vinaceous, 
spotted  with  black  ;  black  crescent  on  breast. 

The  Flicker  is  a  permanent  resident. 

THE  NORTHWESTERN  FLICKER. 

There  is  a  variety  of  the  Flicker  more  or  less 
common  in  our  section,  especially  in  its  north- 
ern part,  which  so  nearly  resembles  the  "  Red- 
shafted  "  that  few  persons  will  probably  care  to 
distinguish  it  from  the  latter  bird.  It  is  known 
as  the  "  Northwestern  "  Flicker.  No  doubt,  even 
bird-students  in  certain  localities  have  seen 
scarcely  any  other,  and  have  supposed  it  to  be 
the  "  Red-shafted  "  ;  and  for  the  average  student, 
perhaps  it  is  just  as  well  not  to  try  and  make 
a  distinction.  The  distinction  is  found  in  gen- 
eral in  the  darker  colors  of  the  "  Northwestern." 

"  Back,  deeper  brown  (sometimes  of  a  warm  umber 
tint) ;  lower  parts,  deeper  vinaceous  ;  throat,  deeper  ash- 
gray  (sometimes  almost  lead  color) ;  top  of  head,  deeper 
brownish ." — Ridgway . 

THE  WESTERN  BLUEBIRD. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 
Upper  parts :  blue. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          5  5 

Under  parts :  chestnut. 
Length :    7  inches. 
Found  about  houses  and  in  the  open  country. 

What  so  gentle  reminder  that  spring  is  at  the 
door  as  the  Bluebird  by  your  house  in  the  coun- 
try or  suburb,  with  his  soft  notes  and  refined 
air,  carrying  with  him  the  color  of  the  sky?  He 
comes  no  stranger  to  your  home,  if  in  the  previ- 
ous spring  and  summer  he  has  found  provided  a 
small  house  in  which  to  brood  two  (perhaps 
three)  families,  according  to  his  success.  If  you 
wish  to  invite  to  the  hospitality  of  your  home 
numerous  pairs  of  these  gentlemanly  and  lady- 
like creatures,  build  for  them  suitable  houses. 
The  song  of  the  Western  Bluebird  is  not  full, 
but  is,  like  his  manners,  gentle  and  sweet. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. — Male  :  All  the  upper 
parts,  sky-blue  ;  throat,  breast  and  sides,  cinnamon-red ; 
abdomen,  white.  In  autumn,  the  blue  is  a  rusty  wash. 

Female  has  duller  colors. 

The  Bluebird  may  be  seen  occasionally  in  the 
winter  season,  and  his  arrival  from  the  South  is 
like  that  of  the  Bluebird  of  the  East,  an  early 
one,  often  in  the  first  week  of  February. 


56          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

THE   MOUNTAIN  BLUEBIRD. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION: 

Upper  and  under  parts  :  azure  blue. 
Length,  7.5  inches. 

Found  east  of  the  Cascade  Mountains,  where  it 
breeds,  and  is  seen  in  other  places  occasionally. 

This  species  of  the  Bluebird  is  much  finer 
than  the  preceding  one,  being  somewhat  larger 
and  more  exquisite  in  color,  and  by  some  it  is 
thought  to  be  the  most  beautiful  of  our  North 
American  birds.  Its  habit  of  nesting  in  holes, 
in  trees  and  stumps,  or  about  a  shed  in  a  mining 
camp,  is  like  that  of  the  more  common  variety  in 
our  western  section.  Its  song  is  not  unlike  that 
of  its  western  relative,  being  soft  and  sweet. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male:  Above,  glassy 
cerulean  blue  ;  below,  lighter  blue ;  abdomen,  and  under 
tail-coverts,  white. 

Female :  Above,  brownish-gray ;  wings  and  tail, 
bluish. 

BREWER'S  BLACKBIRD. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 
Black  all  over. 
Length,  9  inches. 

Found  generally  in  the  country  and  about  large  open 
grounds  in  towns  and  cities. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          5  7 

This  is  the  Blackbird  of  the  Pacific  coast 
from  California  northward.  It  is  abundant ;  and 
nearly  always,  except  when  nesting,  is  to  be  seen 
in  flocks.  The  bird  has  marked  peculiarities,  in 
the  very  white  eye  and  in  the  impertinent  chal- 
lenge-note it  utters  to  any  one  who  happens  to 
intrude  upon  its  nesting-place  or  to  come  upon 
it  while  it  is  eating.  When  nesting,  it  will 
saucily  and  unexpectedly  dash  against  a  man's 
hat  and  pursue  him  for  yards  in  the  man's  own 
enclosure,  while  yet  the  nest  has  not  been  closely 
approached.  But  these  peculiarities  add  interest 
and  charm  to  the  bird,  in  the  eyes  of  the  bird- 
lover. 

His  song  is  not  strikingly  beautiful,  but  has 
its  own  special  quality,  which  goes  with  the  bird- 
chorus  to  render  enchanting  a  spring  day. 

No  doubt  this  Blackbird  does  some  damage 
to  a  farmer's  crops  for  a  time  ;  and  it  may  need 
watching  and  frightening  off  till  the  time  for 
harm  is  past.  But  let  the  farmer  remember 
that  for  the  most  part  of  the  year  these  vigorous 
birds,  in  pairs  and  in  flocks,  devour  thousands  of 
bushels  of  harmful  insects  and  worms,  and  quan- 
tities of  the  seeds  of  weeds  in  our  wide  territory. 


5  8          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

The  multiplication  of  insect-life  is  the  natural 
result  of  destroying  birds.  They  are  worth  many 
times  more  to  us  for  beauty,  fellowship  and  use, 
than  the  price  they  ask  in  fruits  and  grains  in  a 
brief  season. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male:  Glistening 
greenish  iridescent-black. 

Female  :  Brownish-black,  no  gloss. 

Mostly  a  summer  resident.  A  few  remain  the 
year  round. 

EUROPEAN   HOUSE,  OR   ENGLISH,  SPARROW. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  dusty  brown. 

Under  parts  :  dull  grayish. 

Length,  6  inches. 
Found  in  towns  and  cities. 

This  bird  must  have  a  place  in  our  list  in  order 
that  he  may  be  recognized,  and  that  we  may,  as 
much  as  possible,  discourage  his  dwelling  in  our 
neighborhood.  He  is  an  imported  bird,  as  his 
name  suggests,  and  has  brought  to  our  native 
American  birds  only  trouble,  and  to  our  Ameri- 
can people  only  regret.  It  is  not  easy  to  speak 
against  any  bird ;  but  this  one  seems  to  compel 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          59 

all  bird-lovers  to  except  him  from  their  sympa- 
thetic attention.  He  has  no  song  that  may  be 
called  such,  mostly  putting  forth  a  querulous  sort 
of  cry.  He  comes,  like  the  tramps  and  loafers, 
to  the  towns  and  cities,  there  to  fall  upon  and 
drive  away  all  other  feathered  dwellers,  and  he 
has  power  to  multiply  so  rapidly  that  a  few  now 
will  become  a  legion  in  two  or  three  years.  These 
birds  have  not  become  numerous  in  Oregon  and 
Washington  yet,  and  it  is  hoped  that  Bird  So- 
cieties will  take  the  matter  in  hand  and  authorize 
intelligent,  skillful  and  humane  agents  to  reduce 
and  keep  down  their  numbers.  Such  work  is 
not  for  boys,  who  may  mistake  other  Sparrows 
for  these  pestiferous,  quarrelsome  and  destruc- 
tive birds ;  and,  in  killing  these,  cultivate  a  taste 
for  killing  birds  in  general,  and  also  harden 
hearts  too  apt  to  undergo  this  process  in  life. 

To  show  with  what  rapidity  these  birds  may 
multiply,  a  bulletin  issued  by  the  United  States 
Agricultural  Department  states  that  one  pair, 
in  ten  years,  may  produce  275,716,983,698.  This 
calculation,  of  course,  assumes  that  all  eggs  will 
hatch  and  all  progeny  survive  in  the  line.  This 
Sparrow  is  to  be  found  in  the  spring,  having 


60          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

already  pre-empted  for  its  own  use  every  bird- 
house  built  for  Bluebirds,  Swallows  and  Wrens, 
and  forcing  its  nest  into  every  covert,  nook  and 
corner  about  buildings. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. — Male:  Ashy  above,  with 
black  and  chestnut  stripes  on  back  and  shoulders ; 
wings,  chestnut,  with  white  bars  bordered  by  black  line ; 
gray  crown ;  middle  of  the  throat  and  breast,  black ; 
abdomen,  grayish-white. 

v  Female :     Paler ;    wing-bars,  indistinct ;    no  black  on 
throat  and  breast. 

Permanent  resident,  wherever  found. 

THE  OREGON  TOWHEE,  OR  CHEWINK. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Round  body  ;    large  black  head  ;  sides  of  breast, 

reddish-brown. 
Length,  8  inches. 

Found  in  bushes,  and  often  upon  the  ground  scratch- 
ing in  the  leaves. 

The  boys  hereabouts  know  this  particular  kind 
of  bird  as  the  "Catbird,"  because  it  has  an 
alarm-cry  very  much  resembling  a  cat,  but  not 
so  distinctly  resembling  this  animal  as  the 
"  Catbird  "  proper  of  the  Eastern  States. 

The  names  "  Towhee  "  and  "  Chewink  "  are 


Towhee,  or  Chewink. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          6 1 

given  the  common  eastern  variety  of  this  spe- 
cies because  his  usual  happy  call  seems  to  sound 
like  one  of  these  words.  If  the  family  were  to 
be  named  from  the  characteristic  call  of  the 
Oregon  variety,  it  would  not  receive  its  present 
designation. 

The  Towhee  is  sometimes  called  the  "Ground 
Robin,"  because  the  sides  of  his  breast  so  closely 
resemble  the  Robin's  breast  in  color,  and  be- 
cause he  so  persistently  digs  and  delves  under 
the  leaves  and  about  the  roots  of  bushes  for  the 
grubs  which  are  his  principal  food. 

He  is  a  very  individual  bird,  and  often  seems 
to  go  tumbling  rather  than  hopping  about  in  the 
bushes,  hiding  in  the  deepest  thickets  from  your 
sight,  but  always  keeping  you  within  his  own 
vision. 

His  song  is  given  from  the  highest  bush  in 
the  clump,  or  from  the  top  of  a  low  tree,  and  is 
sometimes  like  the  musical  trill  of  a  large  insect. 
He  is  distinguished  for  a  very  red  eye. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male :  black  head, 
back,  tail  and  neck ;  wings,  slightly  spotted  with  white  ; 
breast,  white  center,  reddish-brown  sides ;  abdomen, 
white. 


62          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Female  :  Sooty  above  ;  sides  of  breast,  rather  deeper 
red. 

Partly  summer,  and  partly  permanent,  resi- 
dent. 

THE  RUFOUS  HUMMINGBIRD. 

These  States,  like  those  of  the  East,  have  in 
most  parts  but  one  variety  of  the  Hummingbird, 
out  of  the  eighteen  in  the  United  States  arid  the 
350  in  North  and  South  America.  The  greater 
number  are  in  the  tropical  regions  in  these  con- 
tinents. The  only  one  generally  distributed  in 
our  States  is  the  Rufous  Hummingbird.  But  in 
certain  localities  in  mountainous  regions,  and  in 
other  favorable  spots  in  the  large  area  which 
these  States  include,  ornithologists  have  noted 
the  presence  of  at  least  three  other  species  of 
this  interesting  family ;  namely :  the  Allen's,  the 
Calliope  and  the  Black-chinned  Hummingbirds. 

The  Rufous  Hummingbird  is  dainty,  like  all 
of  the  family,  beautiful  and  very  abundant.  His 
appearance  is  the  nearest  to  a  suggestion  of  a 
sprite  that  any  bird  gives  us.  So  far  as  he 
seems  material,  he  carries  with  him  the  appear- 
ance of  a  "winged  gem,"  or  again  of  a  winged 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          63 

flower.  So  sensitive  does  our  little  bird  seem, 
that  we  could  hardly  expect  it  to  enter  our 
climate  until  late  June  or  early  July,  after  the 
cold  rains  have  passed.  We  never  can  quite 
outgrow,  through  familiarity,  the  sense  of  sur- 
prise and  even  of  amazement,  when  this  little 
breath  of  a  bird  flits  before  our  eyes  in  March. 
And  yet  that  is  what  he  does  as  often  as  March 
comes  round.  Nor  are  we  prepared  to  find  him, 
as  he  has  been  found,  nesting  on  the  mountain 
side  8,000  feet  above  the  sea.  But  we  know 
from  experience  that  this  is  his  hardy  nature  and 
that  he  is  ready  for  the  honey  in  the  first  flowers, 
and  for  the  first  aphides  upon  the  tender  foliage. 
The  hum  of  his  wings,  moving  too  rapidly  for 
our  sight,  will  announce,  at  the  same  time,  his 
arrival  and  his  readiness  to  feed  our  eyes  and 
hearts  again  with  his  ever-new  evidence  of 
"  beauty,  wonder  and  power." 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male:  Head,  metallic 
green ;  same  color  sometimes  down  back ;  back,  lower 
tail-coverts  and  breast,  rufous ;  throat  and  ruff,  or  gor- 
get, coppery-red  ;  below  this,  a  white  collar. 

Female :  Back,  green  instead  of  rufous  ;  only  a  trace 
of  metallic  feathers  on  breast. 


64          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 
Length,  3.5  inches. 
Summer  resident. 

THE  ALLEN'S  HUMMINGBIRD. 

Length,  3.25  inches. 

No  doubt  the  Allen's  Hummingbird  is  some- 
times seen  by  people  who  mistake  it  for  the 
Rufous,  so  much  are  they  alike  —  especially  the 
females.  But  close  observation  will  reveal  the 
former  bird  here  and  there,  throughout  our 
States.  In  one  place  at  least,  Gray's  Harbor, 
Washington,  the  Allen's  Hummingbird  was  re- 
ported in  1892  as  being  equally  common  with 
the  Rufous.  There  are  probably  other  such 
localities.  Although  these  two  members  of  the 
Hummingbird  family  resemble  one  another  so 
closely,  they  may  be  distinguished  by  noticing 
the  birds  very  carefully  and  marking  the  differ- 
ences indicated  in  the  descriptions. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head  and  back,  bright 
metallic  green  (in  the  Rufous  Hummingbird,  the  metallic 
green  only  occasionally  extends  down  the  back) ;  tail- 
feathers  of  the  Allen's,  narrow,  while  the  same  feathers 
of  the  Rufous  are  broad,  and  a  notch  in  the  second 
feather  from  the  middle  of  the  Rufous  Hummingbird's 
tail,  is  wanting  in  the  Allen's. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          65 

THE  CALLIOPE  HUMMINGBIRD. 

Length  2.75  to  3  inches. 

In  most  parts  of  our  States,  the  Calliope  Hum- 
mingbird will  not  be  seen  at  all,  but  in  some  of 
the  higher  altitudes  it  is  reported  as  rare,  and  in 
others  as  common.  It  is  found  in  numbers  in 
Klamath  County,  Oregon,  and  in  Chelan  County, 
Washington.  Its  nests  are  built  in  pine  trees 
from  eight  to  fifteen  feet  above  the  ground  and 
have  the  curious  shape  of  pine  cones.  This  bird 
is  a  source  of  great  delight  to  those  who  have 
made  its  acquaintance. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male  :  No  metallic  on 
crown ;  feathers  of  gorget,  narrow  and  elongated,  white 
at  the  base,  with  metallic  purplish  or  lilac  tips  ;  tail- 
feathers,  plain  dusky,  edged  with  rufous  towards  base ; 
sides,  tinged  with  greenish-rufous. 

Female :  tail-feathers,  tipped  with  white ;  throat, 
whitish,  sometimes  spotted  with  metallic  violet. 

Summer  resident. 

THE  BLACK-CHINNED  HUMMINGBIRD. 

Length,  3.5  inches. 

This  bird,  rare  in  this  section,  is  the  western 
representative  of  the  Ruby-throated  Humming- 
bird of  the  East,  and  it  will  be  recognized  at 


66          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

once  by  the  mark  which  its  name  indicates,  viz.: 
the  black,  velvety  chin  and  throat,  bordered  by 
a  band  of  metallic  violet. 
Summer  resident. 

THE  RED-WINGED  BLACKBIRD. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Male :   All  black,  except  shoulder-patch  (which 
is  scarlet). 

Female  :  Streaked  brownish  and  white. 

Length,  8.5  inches,  more  or  less. 
Found  in  nesting-time  about  bogs  and  marshes. 

The  beauty  of  the  "  Red-wing  "  is  recognized 
by  anyone  who  sees  it ;  and  his  musical  song 
quite  naturally  suggested  to  Emerson  the  line, 

"  The  red-wing  flutes  his  O-ka-lee  !  " 

Yet,  in  spite  of  his  beauty  of  color  and  sweet 
song,  to  many  farmers  he  is  a  detestable  enemy. 
When  the  farmer  learns  that  seven-eighths  of  the 
Red-wing's  food  is  made  up  of  weed-seeds  or  of 
insects  injurious  to  agriculture,  he  will,  perhaps, 
be  willing  to  share  his  crop  with  the  birds  which 
have  helped  him  to  raise  it. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male  :  Coal-black  ; 
shoulders,  scarlet,  bordered  with  a  brownish-yellow  band. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          67 

Female :  As  above. 

Partly  permanent  resident. 

THE  BICOLORED  BLACKBIRD. 

The  Bicolored  Blackbird  is  like  the  Red- 
winged  Blackbird,  except  that  there  is  no  inter- 
mediate color  between  the  black  and  the  red,  — 
only  the  two  colors  indicated  by  the  name.  The 
Bicolored  is  common  in  many  parts  of  Oregon 
and  Washington,  and  many  people  do  not  dis- 
tinguish it  from  the  Red-winged  proper,  which 
has  a  pale  band  between  the  red  and  the  black 
of  its  wings.  Its  habits  are  about  the  same  as 
those  of  the  latter  bird,  and  its  beauty  is  as 
striking  as  his. 

Summer  resident. 

THE  YELLOW-HEADED  BLACKBIRD. 

DESCRIPTION. —  Head  and  breast,  bright  yellow  in 
male,  but,  in  full  plumage,  the  yellow  sometimes  wanting 
or  obscure  on  head ;  wing-patch,  white ;  rest  of  body, 
black. 

Female  :  Brown,  with  yellow  throat. 
Length:  male,  10  inches;  female,  smaller. 
Found  in  marshes  and  their  neighborhood. 

This  species  of  the  Blackbird  is  reported  as 


68  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

common  in  Grant  County,  Oregon,  and  has  been 
seen,  in  larger  or  smaller  numbers,  here  and 
there,  in  both  of  these  States.  It  is  to  be  found 
in  company  with  the  Red-winged  and  Bicolored 
members  of  the  family,  where  marshes  give  op- 
portunity for  nests  among  the  reeds.  The  bird 
nests  in  many  places,  from  the  Mississippi  Valley 
to  the  Pacific  coast.  In  the  former  locality,  its 
summer  residence  is  extremely  variable. 
Summer  resident. 

AUDUBON'S  WARBLER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  soft  bluish-gray,  with  yellow  spot 

on  head  and  rump. 
Under  parts :   yellow  and    white,  streaked  with 

black. 

Length,  5  to  6  inches. 

Found  in  evergreen  trees,  even  in  those  near  houses 
in  towns. 

When  a  person  is  out  the  last  of  March,  near 
a  bunch  of  evergreens,  or  about  willows  border- 
ing sloughs,  he  will  hear  a  sweet,  attractive 
song,  and  may  soon  see,  moving  about  with  the 
restlessness  of  its  family,  one  of  the  most  charm- 
ing little  birds  on  our  coast,  and  one  that  belongs 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          69 

wholly  to  it.  Such  a  little  bunch  of  beauty, 
seen  for  the  first  time,  will  send  a  thrill  of  joy 
through  the  beholder's  heart.  The  colors  in 
which  he  is  arrayed  are  so  bright  and  harmoni- 
ous, and  his  song  is  so  sweet  and  clear,  one  will 
ever  afterward  know  him.  His  proper  home, 
when  nesting  and  all  the  season  through,  is  in 
the  spruce  and  pine ;  and  when  in  these  trees, 
you  can  only  catch  sight  of  him  as  he  appears 
ever  and  anon  on  an  outer  branch  and  hangs  for 
a  moment  searching  with  his  sharp  eyes  for  his 
insect  food ;  or  when,  for  a  moment,  he  darts  to 
a  deciduous  tree  in  the  neighborhood,  or  to  a 
lower  dead  limb  on  the  evergreen. 

The  bird  is  very  abundant,  and  the  people  of 
the  Pacific  coast  should  glory  in  this,  which  is 
perhaps,  more  than  any  other,  characteristically 
their  own  beautiful  Warbler. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head,  back  and  wings, 
bluish-gray,  with  yellow  spot  upon  crown  and  rump  — 
the  yellow  spot  upon  the  crown  partly  concealed ;  back, 
streaked  with  black ;  white  patch  upon  wings ;  yellow 
throat ;  breast,  white,  streaked  broadly  with  black,  with 
striking  yellow  patches  on  the  sides  of  the  breast. 

Summer  resident,  but  it  is  probable  that  it 
occasionally  spends  the  winter  with  us. 


JO          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

THE  MYRTLE  WARBLER. 

There  is  a  member  of  the  Warbler  family 
common  in  the  East  (but  rarer  here),  which  we 
might  mistake  for  the  Audubon's,  should  we 
some  day  happen  upon  him.  It  is  the  Myrtle 
Warbler,  the  distinguishing  marks  being  that 
the  latter  has  a  white  throat  instead  of  a  yellow 
one,  blackish  sides  of  the  head,  and  not  so  much 
white  on  the  wings. 

Summer  resident. 

THE   SKYLARK. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper   parts  :    light  brownish,  with  slight  tawny 
tinge. 

Under  parts  :  not  different  from  upper. 

Length,  7  to  7.5  inches. 
Found  in  the  open  meadows. 

The  Skylark  is  an  imported  bird,  to  be  sure, 
but  is  sufficiently  numerous  in  some  parts  of 
Oregon  to  attract  attention  and  minister  to  the 
joy  of  many  people.  No  bird  in  the  world  has 
been  so  much  the  theme  of  poets,  or  so  much 
the  object  of  enthusiastic  admiration.  Its  fame 
has  gone  out  through  all  the  world,  and  multi- 
tudes of  people  who  have  never  seen  the  bird 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          ^  I 

have  delighted  in  it  in  imagination.  Nearly 
every  one  who  has  read  poetry  at  all  knows, 
more  or  less  intimately,  Shelley's,  and  perhaps 
Wordsworth's  "  Skylark  "  ;  and  many  can  repeat 
at  least  a  part  of  James  Hogg's  airy  lines,  be- 
ginning 

''Bird  of  the  wilderness, 
Blithsome  and  cumberless." 

Whoever  in  Oregon  has  seen  this  bird  soar, 
and  has  heard  him  while  soaring  ever  singing, 
can  appreciate  Shakespeare's  unequalled  lines, 

"  Hark,  hark,  the  lark  at  Heaven's  gate  sings," 

and  has  felt  that  the  poet  has  not  overdone  the 
fact.  The  bird  is  enchanting  beyond  the  de- 
scriptive powers  of  poetry  or  prose.  We  must 
see  and  hear  the  Skylark  for  ourselves. 

Behold  a  bird  rising  from  the  meadow,  and 
the  instant  it  is  on  the  wing  beginning  a  flood 
of  exquisite  song  of  rapid  variation  which  does 
not  cease,  even  for  breathing,  till,  sometimes 
after  fifteen  or  twenty  minutes,  it  drops  again 
to  earth !  Meanwhile,  it  is  literally  in  the  sky, 
and  lost  to  sight  if  the  eye  should,  even  for  an 
instant,  surrender  its  object.  No  bird  on  our 
continent  so  nearly  bursts  with  gladness.  There 


72  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

is  one  most  thrilling  utterance  which  ever  and 
anon  it  returns  to,  seeming  to  say,  "  O  joy !  O 
joy  !  O  joy  !  " 

The  location  of  the  Skylark  is  not  at  present 
known  beyond  the  fields  in  the  eastern  part  of 
the  city  of  Portland.  But  readers  of  this  book 
will  no  doubt  find  it  elsewhere,  either  now  or  at 
some  time  in  the  near  future,  as  it  multiplies 
rapidly  and  will  extend  its  summer  habitat. 

The  best  time  to  see  and  hear  it  is  in  the 
morning  or  late  afternoon,  but  it  may  be  heard 
at  longer  intervals  at  all  times  of  the  day.  It  is 
a  migrant  here  as  in  Europe,  and  leaves  the 
fields  where  it  has  nested,  in  September,  return- 
ing usually,  so  far  as  observed,  about  the  second 
week  in  February. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  Brownish  head  and 
back,  everywhere  streaked  slightly  with  black ;  breast, 
pale  brownish  or  tawny-buff ;  outer  tail-feathers,  white. 

Summer  resident. 

THE  STREAKED  HORNED  LARK. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  ;  tawny-cinnamon,  streaked  on  back  ; 
tufts  of  black  feathers  over  the  eyes  of  the  male, 
like  horns. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          73 

Under  parts :  yellow. 
Length,  6.25  to  7.25  inches. 
Found  in  the  open  fields  and  upon  windy  prairies. 

There  are  several  varieties  of  this  Lark ;  but 
one  is  peculiar  to  the  western  part  of  this  sec- 
tion, and  is  called  "  Streaked "  because  of  the 
strong  markings  upon  the  back.  Another  spe- 
cies of  dusky  hue,  and  unstreaked,  but  other- 
wise the  same,  is  found  west  of  the  Cascade 
Mountains,  and  is  called  the  "  Dusky  Horned 
Lark." 

These  birds,  like  other  Larks,  are  characteris- 
tically lovers  of  the  ground,  where  they  run  and 
sit,  scarcely  ever  resting  upon  anything  higher 
than  a  fence,  and  then  only  for  a  little  time.  On 
account  of  their  running  habit  they  are  some- 
times called  on  this  coast,  "  Road  Trotters." 
When  they  do  occasionally  rise  higher  it  is,  like 
the  Skylark,  to  sing  on  the  wing,  and  their 
efforts  in  this  direction  may  not  be  despised. 
Their  song  is  wild,  glad  and  entertaining,  though 
not  loud  or  especially  sweet,  and  they  some- 
times sing  as  near  "  Heaven's  gate  "  as  the  Sky- 
lark himself.  They,  too,  are  "  birds  of  the 
wilderness,"  and  no  storm  or  rain,  however 


74          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

severe,  can  drive  them  from  the  open  field  to 
cover. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. — Adult  Male :  Fore-part 
of  crown  has  black  half -circle  nearly  from  eye  to  eye, 
with  tufts  extending  back  like  horns ;  a  black  patch 
under  the  eye ;  rest  of  crown,  neck  and  rump,  tawny- 
cinnamon  ;  back,  dull  olive  or  grayish-brown,  very  much 
streaked  with  dusky ;  throat,  pale  yellow ;  black  patch 
on  the  breast ;  abdomen,  pale  yellow. 

Summer  resident, 


THE  WHITE-CROWNED  SPARROW. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Head,  with  white  line  in  center,  with  alternate 
black  and  white  lines ;  back,  yellowish-brown  ; 
breast,  gray. 
Length,  7  inches. 

Found  upon  low  trees  and  bushes  in  open  places. 
Nests  upon  the  ground. 

Next  to  the  Western  Meadowlark,  no  doubt 
most  people  will  vote  the  White-crowned  Spar- 
row the  most  fascinating  singer  of  our  North- 
western States.  He  can  be  easily  named,  be- 
cause of  the  central  white  or  whitish  line  on  his 
head,  with  alternate  black  and  white  lines  on 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          75 

either  side  of  this  distinguishing  mark.  In  the 
Atlantic  States  the  White-crowned  Sparrow  is 
very  rare — is  seldom  seen  and  seldom  heard. 
But  in  Oregon  and  Washington  a  species  of  this 
bird  is  on  nearly  every  bush ;  and  all  the  spring 
long,  and  most  of  the  summer  through,  from 
early  morning  till  night — and  even  in  the  night — 
can  the  exquisite  notes  of  this  gentle  and  friendly 
bird  be  heard.  Often,  through  the  darkest 
nights,  in  the  Virginia  creeper  or  honeysuckle 
around  the  porch  or  piazza,  he  utters  his  plain- 
tive song — seeming  to  say,  as  one  sensitive 
observer  has  imagined  it :  "  Sweet,  sweet,  listen 
to  me,  won't  you  ?  " 

This  bird  may  be  called  "  the  American  Night- 
ingale," for  surely  its  night-song  has  all  the  quiet 
melancholy  that  one's  imagination  would  attribute 
to  the  notes  of  a  bird  in  the  hours  of  darkness. 

There  are  two  slightly  different  kinds  of  this 
Sparrow  in  our  States.* 

They  are  the  Nut-tail's  and  the  Gambel's  White- 

*  Since  the  publication  of  the  first  edition  of  this  book,  the  Ameri- 
can Ornithologists'  Union,  the  authoritative  body  in  this  country  in 
the  naming  of  birds,  has  accepted  Mr.  Ridgway's  change  of  the  names 
of  these  two  Sparrows.  According  to  him,  the  Gambel's  Sparrow  of 
the  first  edition  becomes  the  Nuttall's,  and  the  Intermediate  becomes 
the  Gambel's. 


76          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

crowned  Sparrows.  The  former  is  the  common 
one  in  Oregon,  particularly  in  the  Willamette 
Valley,  and  in  southern  Washington,  as  well. 
The  Gambel's  is  rare  in  these  parts,  and  may  not 
be  seen  except  during,  migration,  but  is  found 
more  frequently  as  we  go  north.  On  Puget 
Sound,  at  least  in  some  places  about  Seattle  and 
Tacoma,  it  is  not  uncommon.  The  summer 
habitat  of  the  Gambel's  Sparrow  extends  as  far 
north  as  Alaska. 

Most  people  in  Oregon  and  Washington  will 
take  the  Nuttall's  Sparrow  for  granted,  so  rarely 
will  the  Gambel's  be  seen,  but  some  interested 
students  will  want,  during  migration,  to  recog- 
nize both  kinds  ;  and  people  living  around  Puget 
Sound  and  in  northern  Washington  should  dis- 
tinguish between  these  birds.  Their  appearance 
is  so  slightly  unlike  that  one  must  look  closely 
indeed  to  tell  them  apart.  After  hearing  the 
songs  of  both,  it  seems  to  me  that  in  this  respect 
the  birds  may  readily  be  distinguished.  The 
usual  Nuttall's  song  is  the  one  interpreted  above 
into  "  Sweet,  sweet,  listen  to  me,  won't  you?" 
The  song  of  the  Gambel's  is  nearly  the  same  in 
quality  and  if  it  were  the  same  in  form,  would 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          77 

be  identical.  But  it  is  irregular,  without  distinct 
articulation,  and  can  be  translated  into  no  defi- 
nite language.  The  differences  in  plumage  may 
be  gathered  from  the  description  of  the  two 
given  in  Ridgway's  Manual.  They  seem  to  be 
these  —  the  white,  ashy  or  buffy  median-stripe 
on  the  crown  is,  in  the  Gambel's,  at  least  as 
broad,  usually  broader,  than  the  other  lateral 
stripes,  while  in  the  Nuttall's  the  same  stripe  is 
narrower  than  the  other  lateral  stripes.  Again, 
the  back  of  the  Nuttall's  is  a  more  smoky-brown 
than  the  back  of  the  Gambel's,  and  the  breast  a 
darker  gray.  But  the  most  decidedly  definite 
distinguishing  mark  is  this  :  the  inner  edge  of 
the  wing  of  the  Nuttall's  Sparrow  is  pale  yellow, 
while  the  edge  of  the  wing  of  the  Gambel's  is 
ashy.  Both  have  light  ashy  or  buffy  lores,  which 
join  the  superciliary  stripe,  instead  of  distinct 
black  lores,  as  in  the  White-crowned  Sparrow 
proper.  The  full  particular  description  of  the 
Nuttall's  White-crowned  Sparrow  is  as  follows  : 
"  Edge  of  wing,  pale  yellow  ;  white,  ashy  or  buffy  me- 
dian crown-stripe,  usually  narrower  than  black  or  brown 
lateral  stripes ;  adult  back  with  smoky  brown  or  olive- 
brown,  striped  with  dark  sepia-brown  or  sooty  blackish  ; 
and  chest,  brownish-gray,"  —  Ridgway. 


78          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

The  White-crowned  Sparrow  of  Oregon  and 
Washington,  as  well  as  the  Meadowlark,  should 
be  known  and  appreciated  by  every  one. 

A  few  White-crowned  Sparrows  spend  the 
winter  in  these  latitudes.  Most  of  them  pass 
the  colder  months  in  California.  The  return 
migration  begins  in  late  March  or  early  April, 
and  the  songs  are  soon  heard. 

THE   GOLDEN-CROWNED  SPARROW. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  yellow  crown,  and  olive-brown  back. 
Under  parts  :  brownish-gray. 
Length,  7  to  8  inches. 

During  the  spring  and  autumn  migrations, 
many  persons  will  observe  a  sparrow,  beautiful 
to  the  eye  and,  should  the  occasional  song  be 
heard,  charming  to  the  ear.  The  Golden- 
crowned  Sparrow  will  stay  with  us  a  few  days  in 
April  while  on  his  way  to  Alaska  to  nest,  and 
late  in  the  season,  when  returning  to  his  winter 
home  in  California.  He  resembles  the  White- 
crowned  Sparrow,  but  his  golden  crown  will  be 
the  only  necessary  mark  of  identification. 

Transient. 


lame  Robin  and  Fledgling. 


(See  page  258.) 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          79 

THE  CALIFORNIA  PURPLE  FINCH. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Male :  Head  and  breast,  raspberry-red. 
Length,  6  inches. 

Found  early  in  the  season,  in  company  with  Gold- 
finches, feeding  upon  dandelion  and  other  feathered 
seeds.  Later,  in  orchards  and  gardens. 

The  Purple  Finch  is  probably  named,  not  from 
the  color  which  we  commonly  recognize  by  that 
designation,  but  from  a  peculiar  red  shade  which 
perhaps  approaches  in  some  birds  the  ancient 
Tyrian  purple.  The  male,  which  takes  all  the 
color  of  the  species,  does  not  come  to  his  rich 
heritage  till  he  is  two  years  old ;  meanwhile, 
closely  resembling  a  Sparrow,  he  might  be  taken 
for  one.  The  beauty  of  the  male  is  not  alone  in 
the  striking  and  unusual  red  upon  head  and 
breast,  but  is  also  in  the  fine  and  varied  brown 
lines  upon  his  back,  and  quite  as  much  in  his 
perfect  form.  The  female  is  far  inferior  to  her 
mate  in  respect  of  beauty. 

This  is  one  of  the  most  beloved,  and  at  the 
same  time  one  of  the  most  hated,  of  birds.  For, 
while  he  comes  to  the  bird-lover  as  an  object  of 
beauty  to  the  eye  with  his  display  of  fine  color, 


8o          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

and  a  joy  to  the  ear  with  his  wealth  of  warbling 
song,  to  the  fruit-grower  he  comes  as  an  enemy 
of  fruit  buds.  There  is  good  reason  to  suppose, 
however,  that  the  damage  done  by  this  bird  is 
over-estimated ;  while  it  is  possible  that  what 
seems  to  be  harmful  may  be  beneficial.  Experi- 
ment has  shown  that  finer  and  larger  measure,  or 
more  weight  of  fruit,  is  obtained  where  a  part 
(sometimes  one-half)  of  the  fruit  set  upon  a  tree 
has  been  removed.  Mr.  A.  W.  Anthony  —  one 
of  the  great  authorities  upon  the  birds  of  the  Pa- 
cific coast  —  has  given  attention  to  this  subject, 
has  seen  a  partial  experiment  tried,  and  is  of  the 
latter  opinion.  One  year  the  Purple  Finches 
were  allowed  to  have  their  own  way  in  a  cherry 
orchard,  with  the  result  that  the  cherry  trees 
were  overloaded  at  harvest  time.  But  even  if  it 
is  true  that  some  damage  is  done  by  this  bird  and 
others,  the  farmer  and  fruit-grower  must  beware, 
for  he  may  save  a  few  cherries  at  the  cost  of 
immeasurably  greater  damage  from  insects  and 
noxious  weeds. 

This  Finch  is  with  us  in  numbers  by  the  last 
of  March,  and  will  soon  after  be  heard  pouring 
forth  his  beautiful  song  from  the  top  of  the 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington  8 1 

highest  trees  in  the  neighborhood.  His  song,  in 
a  general  way,  is  a  warble.  Mr.  Frank  M. 
Chapman  says  of  the  song  of  the  eastern  Pur- 
ple Finch  (not  unlike  our  own)  :  "  His  song  is  a 
sweet,  flowing  warble,  music  as  natural  as  the 
rippling  of  the  mountain  brook." 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  Male  :  two  years  old, 
head,  throat  and  breast,  bright  wine-red ;  back,  brown, 
with  a  pinkish  tinge ;  rump,  more  like  head ;  abdomen, 
and  under  tail-coverts,  white. 

Female :  Above,  olive-grayish,  somewhat  streaked ; 
breast,  whitish,  streaked  with  brown ;  abdomen,  white. 

Mostly  a  summer  resident. 


THE  PINE  SISKIN. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Brindle-brown,  with  yellow  bars  on  wings. 
Length,  5  inches. 

Found  in  the  spring  about  our  roadsides,  and  upon 
our  evergreens,  near  and  in  open  places,  even  in  cities 
and  towns. 

As  soon  as  the  first  dandelions  are  blown,  and 
the  green  grass  is  flecked  with  their  winged 
seeds,  you  will  see  flocks  of  little  grayish-brown 
birds  not  unlike  Sparrows  in  their  color,  but  with 


82  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

touches  of  light  yellow  on  wings,  back  and  tail, 
and  sometimes  a  flush  of  yellow  appearing  under 
the  surface  of  the  feathers  —  eagerly  devouring 
these  fugitive  morsels.  They  may  be  seen,  too, 
upon  the  evergreen  trees  of  the  neighborhood, 
and  again  upon  other  trees,  singing  in  chorus 
the  softest,  sweetest  song  imaginable.  The 
privilege  of  hearing  this  song  is  not  given  to  the 
people  of  the  Atlantic  coast,  for  before  these 
birds  there  begin  their  song,  they  have  gone 
north  into  the  pines  of  British  America,  where 
they  nest  in  the  tree-tops,  far  from  the  maraud- 
ing hands  of  man.  These  Siskins,  sometimes 
called  "  Pine  Finches,"  or  "  Pine  Linnets,"  linger 
in  this  part  of  the  country  till  the  nesting-season 
for  other  birds  has  quite  begun ;  and  then, 
though  some  of  them  probably  disappear  to  the 
mountains  and  possibly  to  the  forests  of  the 
North,  a  good  many,  at  least,  have  learned  to 
trust  their  eggs  and  young  to  the  neighboring 
trees. 

The  undulating  flight  of  this  bird  should  be 
marked  as  like  that  of  the  Goldfinch,  to  which 
it  is  related. 

The  Pine  Siskin  is  mostly  a  transient. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          83 

THE  WILLOW  GOLDFINCH. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Yellow  body  ;  black  wings,  tail  and  crown. 

Length,  5  inches. 

Found  anywhere  in  open  country,  especially  about 
weeds  that  have  feathered  seeds,  and  thistles. 

This  is  the  western  species  of  the  American 
Goldfinch  and  differs  so  slightly  from  that  bird 
in  appearance  that  eminent  authorities  have 
opposed  noticing  the  distinctions  and  giving  it 
another  name.  He  is  more  generally  noticed 
than  most  other  birds  in  our  locality,  on  account 
of  his  striking  color.  Resembling,  as  he  does, 
the  Canary,  he  is  often  called  the  "  Wild  Canary." 
But  not  many  know  more  than  the  appearance 
of  this  bird  of  "  gentle  ways  and  sweet  disposi- 
tion." Few  know  his  sweet  song,  like  that  of 
the  Siskin  (who  is  a  cousin,  as  before  intimated), 
and  fewer  know  his  undulating  flight  with  the 
sweet  accompanying  song,  which  seems  to  rise 
and  fall  in  pitch  with  his  wave-like  movement. 

He  begins  to  change  his  dress  when  the  nest- 
ing-season is  over,  and  in  winter  appears  in 
darker  and  less  noticeable  garb — the  male  win- 
ter dress  being  somewhat  like  the  summer  dress 
of  the  female. 


84          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

His  home  is  where  the  thistle,  dandelion,  let- 
tuce and  sunflower  bloom.  Sunflowers  in  the 
garden  will  invite  his  presence  and  secure  a  long 
stay  with  you. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male:  Head,  back, 
breast  and  lower  under  parts,  bright  yellow ;  cap,  wings 
and  tail,  black  ;  white  markings  upon  the  latter  two.  In 
his  winter  dress  the  bright  yellow  changes  to  a  brownish- 
olive  ;  his  black  wings  and  tail  retained. 

Female :  Both  winter  and  summer,  brownish-olive 
above  ;  dusky-yellow  below. 

Partly  a  summer,  and  partly  a  permanent,  resi- 
dent. 


THE  ARKANSAS  GOLDFINCH. 

Length,  4.40  to  5.40  inches. 

If  we  look  closely,  we  shall  discover  that 
there  is  a  difference  in  the  Goldfinches,  at  least 
in  some  parts  of  our  territory.  Some  of  these 
soft  and  sweet  singers  will,  on  careful  observa- 
tion, be  found  to  bear  a  distinguishing  mark,  as 
given  in  the  description.  The  difference  is  in 
the  appearance,  and  not  so  much  in  the  habits, 
for  these  are  very  much,  if  not  altogether,  alike. 
The  name  indicates  that  they  are  found  over 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          8  5 

a  wide  area,  and  that  the  Pacific  coast  cannot 
claim  them  as  it  may  the  Willow  Goldfinch. 

DESCRIPTION.  —  Just  like  the  Willow  Goldfinch,  ex- 
cept that  the  back  and  ear-coverts  are  plain  olive-green, 
while  the  Willow  Goldfinch  is  all  lemon-color  where  there 
is  no  black  or  white. 

Summer  resident. 


THE  WRENS. 

Perhaps  no  birds  are  more  bewitching  in  their 
make-up  and  manner  than  these  little  creatures 
that  are  very  common  in  certain  wide  parts  of 
the  North  Pacific  States.  They  are  everywhere 
within  these  limits. 

There  are  five  varieties  described  here.  The 
first  three  of  these  look,  to  the  superficial  ob- 
server, so  much  alike  that  care  must  be  taken 
to  distinguish  them.  They  all  have  the  same 
general  form,  and,  in  different  shades,  the  same 
color,  brown.  The  body  and  tail  of  each  is 
barred  or  speckled  with  dusky  cross-marks. 

The  other  two  are  altogether  unlike,  and  are 
so  different  from  the  three  which  so  much  re- 
semble one  another,  that  a  person  is  not  likely 
to  make  a  mistake  in  their  identification. 


86  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

PARKMAN'S  HOUSE  WREN. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :   darkish-brown. 
Under  parts :  pale  buffy. 
Length,  5  inches  and  more. 

Found  about  human  dwellings  and  holes  in  fences  and 
trees. 

It  is  hoped  that  everyone  knows  "  Little 
Jennie  Wren,"  who  in  the  spring  is  always  look- 
ing for  a  sheltered  nook  about  the  piazza,  in  an 
out-building,  or  in  a  house  built  expressly  for 
herself.  What  fidgety  airs,  what  twitching  and 
turning,  what  bobbing  and  bowing,  what  scolding, 
in  their  own  peppery  style,  while  you  are  near 
the  sacred  precincts  of  these  little  creatures! 
For,  though  angelic  singers,  they  have  a  temper 
that  even  the  larger  birds  fear.  But  what  con- 
trast in  the  bubbling  song  that  the  male  will 
pour  forth,  at  intervals,  all  day  long, —  some- 
times allowing  no  rest,  when  singing  in  response 
to  a  rival.  Mr.  Chapman,  says  of  the  corres- 
ponding House  Wren  in  the  East,  very  nearly 
like  our  own,  that  he  has  heard  one  sing,  under 
such  conditions,  ten  songs  a  minute  for  two 
hours  at  a  time. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          87 

If  we  do  not  have  these  little  mountain  brooks 
of  song  about  our  houses,  it  may  be  entirely  our 
own  fault  in  not  setting  up  for  them  a  box 
against  the  house,  or  even  a  box  upon  a  pole, — 
in  each  case  making  the  entrance  not  larger  than 
a  silver  quarter,  to  keep  out  the  English  Sparrow 
or  the  Swallow. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  Male  and  female  :  All 
over,  a  little  darker  than  cinnamon-brown ;  wings  and 
tail,  barred  with  dusky  lines ;  "  back  and  sides,  more  or 
less  waved  with  dusky  cross-markings " ;  under  parts, 
pale  buffy. 

A  summer  resident.  They  may  be  expected 
from  the  South  about  the  middle  of  April. 

NORTHWESTERN  VIGORS'S  WREN. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Very  like  the  House  Wren  in  general  appearance, 
the  distinguishing  mark  being  a  line  of  white 
over  the  eye. 

Length,  5  inches  and  more. 
Found  in  and  out  of  thickets  and  hedges. 

This  Wren  has  the  restless  habit  of  the  House 
Wren,  as  already  indicated.  It  nests  in  thickets 
and  hedges,  and  occasionally  it,  like  the  House 
Wren,  makes  a  nest  about  a  house.  In  March, 


88  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

1901,  a  pair  of  these  birds  were  nesting  under 
the  roof  of  a  low  piazza  in  Portland.  The 
Vigors's  Wren  has  one  of  the  most  striking  and 
attractive  songs  given  by  the  birds  of  the  North- 
west. His  song  is  so  unlike  that  of  the  House 
Wren  that  it  cannot  be  confused  with  the  latter, 
when  once  it  has  been  distinctly  heard. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Above,  almost  a 
blackish-brown ;  wings  and  sides,  not  so  dark ;  below, 
grayish-white  ;  distinguishing  mark,  white  line  over  eye. 

Largely  a  permanent  resident. 


THE  WESTERN  WINTER  WREN. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  darker  brown  than  either  of  the  other 

Wrens. 
Under  parts :  pale  brown  ;  pale  brown  stripe  over 

the  eye. 
Length,  only  4  inches. 

This  is  the  smallest  and  the  wildest  of  the 
Wrens.  It  lives  in  the  woods  about  old  stumps 
and  the  roots  of  overturned  trees,  where  it  nests. 
There  he  may  be  seen  through  the  glass,  with 
his  short  tail  erect,  hastening  to  get  out  of  sight. 
But  when  you  are  no  longer  near,  he  begins  an 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          89 

exquisite  song,  which  John  Burroughs  describes, 
in  his  eastern  cousin,  as  "  a  wild,  sweet,  rhythmical 
cadence  that  holds  you  entranced."  His  note  of 
alarm  is  said  to  sound  something  like  "  Chimp, 
chimp."  You  can  tell  him  by  noting  carefully 
his  short  tail,  and  comparing  your  observation 
with  the  following  description  : 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  --  Above,  like  other 
Wrens,  more  or  less  distinctly  cross-barred,  but  darker 
and  less  rusty ;  chin  and  throat,  dull  tawny. 

Permanent  resident. 

TITLE   WREN. 

This  is  the  western  variety  of  the  eastern 
Long-billed  Marsh  Wren.  The  long  bill  and 
the  marsh  habitat  will  distinguish  it  from  all 
the  other  Wrens.  This  bird  attaches  its  nest  to 
reeds,  making  it  globular  in  form,  with  the  en- 
trance on  the  side. 

Mr.  J.  H.  Bowles,  of  Tacoma,  Wash.,  is  my 
authority  for  saying  that  it  is  as  common,  about 
some  parts  of  Puget  Sound  at  least,  as  any  of 
the  members  of  the  family  named  above. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head,  dark  brown  . 
back,  lighter  brown,  streaked  with  black  and  white  in  the 


go          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

middle  ;  "  tail-coverts,  upper  and  lower,  usually  distinctly 
barred  with  blackish." 
Length,  5  inches. 

Summer  resident. 

THE  ROCK  WREN. 

Length,  6  inches. 

This  Wren  is  not  uncommon  in  some  parts  of 
our  territory  in  mountainous  and  sage-brush 
regions,  but  is  not  often  seen,  perhaps,  in  the 
most  populous  districts.  In  central-northern 
and  eastern  Washington  and  in  southern-central 
and  southeastern  Oregon,  ornithologists  report 
numerous  observations  of  the  bird,  and  it  is 
mentioned  also  as  occasionally  occurring  on  the 
coast. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. — Like  other  Wrens  in 
form  and  sprightly  habit,  differing  mainly  in  being  much 
lighter  in  shade,  having  above  finely  sprinkled  dots  of 
white  and  black,  and  a  cinnamon-colored  rump ;  a  line 
of  buff  or  white  over  the  eye ;  lower  parts,  white,  chang- 
ing to  light  cinnamon  in  the  abdomen. 

Summer  resident. 


THE  PACIFIC  YELLOW-THROAT. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  olive-brown  and  olive-green. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          9 1 

Under  parts :   yellow.     Black  mask  on  forehead 

and  sides  of  head. 
Length,  4.75  to  5.85  inches. 
Found  in  thickets  on  lowlands. 

The  Maryland  Yellow-throat  is  famous  in  the 
East  for  his  beauty  and  song,  and  has  a  large 
place  in  bird  literature.  The  western  variety  of 
this  bird,  like  the  eastern,  will  in  all  probability 
be  often  heard  before  he  is  seen,  for  he  loves 
the  thicket  from  which,  unseen,  he  may  mock 
and  delight  you  with  his  oft -repeated  "  Wichity- 
wichity-wichity."  People  interpret  this  song 
in  many  ways.  Some  say  it  is  "  Rapity-rapity," 
and  others  "  Witch-e-wee-o,"  and  so  on.  Mr. 
Burroughs  says  he  has  heard  birds  whose  notes 
sounded  like,  "  Which  way,  sir  ?  "  And  Mr. 
Chapman  says  he  has  heard  some  who  seemed 
to  say,  "  Wait  a  minute." 

The  bird's  coloring  is  striking.  His  yellow 
throat  and  jet  black  mask  from  bill  to  crown, 
and  well  down  on  the  sides  of  the  head,  covering 
the  eye,  once  seen,  will  never  be  mistaken  or 
forgotten. 

No  one  of  the  Warbler  family  has  as  many 
human  devotees,  and  perhaps  none  deserves 


92          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

them  more.  The  Pacific  Yellow-throat  is  not 
a  whit  behind  his  eastern  counterpart  in  looks 
or  in  song ;  in  fact,  in  the  former  respect,  he  has 
something  of  an  advantage,  his  colors  being 
brighter  and  richer,  while  he  is  also  a  little 
larger.  His  song  has  quite  the  same  notes  as 
that  of  the  Maryland  Yellow-throat.  Dr.  Henry 
van  Dyke  has  paid  him  a  beautiful  tribute  in  a 
poem  which  reads  something  like  an  echo  of  the 
bird's  fascinating  song. 

One  of  the  verses  is  here  introduced : 

"  While  May  bedecks  the  naked  trees 

With  tassels  and  embroideries, 
And  many  blue-eyed  violets  beam 
Along  the  edges  of  the  stream, 
I  hear  a  voice  that  seems  to  say, 
Now  near  at  hand,  now  far  away, 
*  Witchery  —  witchery  —  witchery/  " 

He  comes  to  our  latitude,  from  his  winter 
home  in  the  South,  early  in  the  season,  and  may 
be  heard  some  years  by  the  last  week  in  March. 
He  should  be  sought  in  lots  where  there  are 
thick  clumps  of  bushes,  and  in  young  growths 
of  deciduous  trees.  His  nest  will  be  found  upon 
or  near  the  ground. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Black  mask,  as  above, 
bordered  by  a  band  (usually  broad)  of  white ;  crown  and 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          93 

neck,  olive-brown ;  back,  clear  olive-green ;  rump,  more 
yellowish  ;  throat  and  breast,  bright  yellow. 

A  summer  resident. 

THE  WESTERN  CHIPPING  SPARROW. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  crown,  rufous ;  back,  slightly  red- 
dish-brown. 

Under  parts :  light  soft  gray. 

Length,  5  inches  and  more. 
Found  in  open  fields,  often  near  houses. 

This  little  Sparrow  is  the  smallest  of  its  fam- 
ily. It  has  its  own  peculiarly  quiet  and  fascin- 
ating manners  and  habits.  It  has  some  of  the 
domestic  proclivities  of  the  corresponding  east- 
ern variety.  The  latter  is  found  about  back- 
door yards  and  even  upon  door-steps,  looking  for 
crumbs,  and  no  bird  has  a  more  winsome  look  or 
dainty  habit.  He  should  never  be  mistaken 
for  the  English  or  House  Sparrow,  which  greed- 
ily takes  all  crumbs  meant  for  others.  The 
"  Chippy,"  as  he  is  more  familiarly  called,  may 
be  heard  uttering  his  characteristic  song  or  call, 
"  Chip,  chip,  chip,  chip,  chip,"  often  and  rapidly 
repeated.  It  sounds,  sometimes,  like  a  mellow 
chirring  of  a  grasshopper.  Occasionally,  in  the 


94  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

darkest  night,  the  song  of  the  male  bird  will  ring 
out  in  the  still  air,  in  order,  it  is  said,  to  re-as- 
sure the  little  female  upon  her  nest.  This  Spar- 
row is  sometimes  called  the  "  Hair  Bird,"  because 
he  lines  his  nest  with  horsehair. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  Crown,  bright  reddish- 
brown  ;  forehead,  black ;  streak  of  gray  over  the  eye ; 
back,  brown,  slightly  reddish,  feathers  streaked  with  black; 
breast,  and  abdomen,  soft,  light  gray. 

Quite  a  common  summer  resident.  A  few  of 
the  birds  remain  all  winter. 

THE   OREGON  VESPER  SPARROW,  OR  OREGON 
BAY-WINGED  BUNTING. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  brown,  streaked  with  gray. 
Under  parts  :  whitish,  streaked  ;  outer  tail-feath- 
ers, white. 
Length,  6  inches. 

Found  in  open  pasture  lands  and  by  country  way- 
sides. 

While  you  are  looking  for  and  watching  the 
Sparrows  already  named,  you  will  see  a  Sparrow 
fly  out  of  the  road,  or  along  the  fence,  showing 
white  outer  tail-feathers  —  the  one  infallible  mark 
by  which  you  may  know  a  Vesper  Sparrow  from 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          95 

other  members  of  his  family  ;  notice  also  the  bay 
or  chestnut-colored  lesser  wing-coverts.  Only  do 
not  mistake  the  Junco,  or  "  Snow  Bird,"  for  the 
Vesper  Sparrow,  as  he  has  the  same  white  tail- 
markings.  This  Sparrow  is  common  in  the  west- 
ern parts  of  our  States,  is  a  sweet  singer,  uttering 
a  freer  note  than  the  Song  Sparrow,  and  is  more 
generous  of  his  song.  The  song  is  difficult  to 
describe,  but  cannot  be  mistaken  after  it  has  once 
been  recognized.  The  bird  has  received  the  dis- 
tinguishing name  of  Vesper  Sparrow  because, 
perhaps,  it  sings  more  toward  evening  than  do 
the  other  Sparrows. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male  and  female  :  Head 
and  back,  brown,  streaked  with  gray  ;  shoulders,  chest- 
nut; throat  and  breast,  whitish,  striped  with  dark  brown  ; 
lower  under  parts,  soiled  white  ;  outer  tail-feathers,  partly 
white,  apparently  wholly  white  as  the  bird  flies. 

Summer  resident.     Arrives  about  April 


THE   WESTERN  SAVANNA   SPARROW. 
GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  pale  grayish,  brown  streaked. 
Under  parts  :  whitish,  streaked  with  brown  ;  yel- 

low line  over  eye. 
Length,  5.5  inches. 


96          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Found  by  seaside,  and  in  and  around  marshes. 

This  western  variety  of  the  Savanna  Sparrow 
of  the  East  is  common  along  the  coast  and  on 
Puget  Sound,  and  should  be  recognized  by  those 
in  whose  locality  he  is  a  resident.  Its  song  is 
low  and  grasshopper-like :  "  Ptsip,  ptsip,  ptsip ; 
zee,  e-e-e-e."  Its  home,  in  the  marshes  and  low- 
lands, where  other  Sparrows  are  not  usually 
found,  gives  this  bird  an  association  of  special 
interest. 

It  nests  upon  the  ground  in  grassy  places,  or 
in  the  sedge  of  the  marsh. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head,  back  and  wings, 
pale  grayish-brown ;  light  gray  line  down  middle  of 
head ;  line  over  eye,  yellow  ;  back,  streaked  with  broad 
black  and  narrower  light  grayish  lines,  strongly  marked ; 
abdomen,  whitish,  streaked  with  buffy. 

Summer  resident. 

THE  WESTERN  LARK  SPARROW. 

Length,  7  inches. 

This  Sparrow,  is  a  striking  bird  in  color,  size 
and  song.  On  account  of  his  peculiarly  striped 
head,  it  is  called,  in  some  localities,  the  "  Snake 
Bird."  It  is  to  be  regretted  that,  because  of  its 
fine  song,  it  is  often  caged. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington  97 

The  Agricultural  Department  of  Washington, 
D.  C.,  reports  that  only  two  species  of  the 
numerous  Sparrow  family  equal  this  one  in  the 
destruction  of  grasshoppers ;  it  also  eats  the 
wheat  weevil  and  consumes  weed-seeds  without 
limit. 

It  is  reported  as  abundant  in  southern  Oregon, 
and  is  common  in  Chelan  and  Okanogan  coun- 
ties in  Washington  and  in  other  localities  in  our 
States. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. — "Crown  and  sides  of 
head,  chestnut,  with  line  of  grayish-white  on  top  of  head  ; 
body,  above,  light  grayish-brown,  narrowly  streaked  with 
blackish-brown ;  a  narrow  line  of  black  on  each  side  of 
throat,  and  a  small,  irregular  black  patch  on  the  breast, 
otherwise,  under  parts,  white."  —  (Keeler.) 

Summer  resident. 


THE   SWALLOWS. 

These  are  the  birds  that  do  not  sing,  but  they 
fly  with  a  grace  that  fascinates  one  and  compels 
prolonged  attention.  The  flight  of  any  bird  is 
wonderful,  and  should  never  be  overlooked  as  a 
source  of  satisfaction  to  the  heart  of  a  bird-lover. 
But  the  flight  of  the  Swallow  has  in  it  all  of  the 


98          Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

grace  and  poetry  of  motion  imaginable.  Flying 
is  marvellous  enough ;  but  floating  in  air  seems 
fairly  miraculous  to  one  who,  for  the  first  time, 
really  notices  a  Swallow  glide  over  a  meadow  or 
touch  the  bosom  of  a  lake,  and  for  a  distance 
make  no  motion  of  the  wings  —  except  as  they 
go  with  the  body  in  its  easy  turns.  The  Swallow 
is  truly  the  bird  of  the  air,  as  the  Sparrow  is  the 
bird  of  the  ground,  and  the  Warbler,  the  bird  of 
the  trees. 

Swallows  eat  and  drink  while  on  the  wing. 
One  kind  occasionally  eats  at  rest.  No  one  ever 
saw  a  swallow  chasing  insects  upon  the  sand, 
and  not  one,  perhaps,  was  ever  seen  lifting  his 
head  toward  heaven  after  dipping  his  bill  into  a 
pool  in  the  road  or  in  a  spring.  He  alights 
only  for  rest  and  for  sleep.  Nearly  all  the  day, 
from  sun  to  sun,  he  darts  and  gyrates  and 
glides  over  meadow  and  pool  —  taking  what  he 
needs  while  in  ever  graceful  motion. 

It  is  said  that  Swallows  do  not  sing.  Do  they 
not  ?  Is  not  their  exquisite  twitter  a  song  ?  that 
twitter  that  is  so  friendly  to  each  other  and  so 
charming  to  man,  that  it  gives  the  satisfaction 
of  a  song. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington          99 

These  birds  are  so  peaceable  among  them- 
selves, so  fond  of  living  together,  that  we  are 
attached  to  them.  Some  of  them  make  their 
nests  in  colonies,  and  are  not  jealous  of  room  or 
of  favorable  locations. 

As  much  as  the  author  of  this  book  is  pleased 
with  the  "  birds  that  sing,"  he  wishes  to  record 
that  the  Swallows  have  ministered  to  his  happi- 
ness not  less. 

He  sympathizes  with  Jeffries,  who  says  :  "  As 
well  suppose  the  trees  without  leaves  as  the 
summer  air  without  swallows.  Ever  since,  of 
old  time,  the  Greeks  went  round  from  house  to 
house  in  spring,  singing  the  swallow  song,  these 
birds  have  been  looked  upon  as  the  friends  of 
man,  and  almost  as  the  very  givers  of  the  sun- 
shine. .  .  .  The  beautiful  swallows,  be  tender 
with  them,  for  they  symbol  all  that  is  best  in 
nature  and  all  that  is  best  in  our  hearts." 

There  are  six  varieties  of  the  Swallow  proper 
more  or  less  common  in  Oregon  and  Washington. 
They  are  the  Violet-green,  Cliff  or  Eave,  White- 
bellied  or  Tree,  Bank,  Rough-winged,  and  Barn 
Swallows  —  besides  the  Martin,  which  will  be 
described  also. 


IOO        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

THE   VIOLET-GREEN    SWALLOW. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  a  soft  rich  green  (but  not  lustrous). 

Under  parts  :  pure  white. 

Length,  5  inches. 
Found  about  houses  and  out-buildings. 

This  bird  belongs  to  the  Pacific  coast ;  and  a 
particularly  beautiful  bird  it  is,  having  a  beauty 
as  rare  as  the  peculiarity  of  its  color.  To  enjoy 
this,  one  needs,  in  just  the  right  light,  to  catch 
sight  of  the  sheen  of  the  plumage  in  a  slanting 
vision  ;  for  the  beauty  of  the  plumage  of  this 
bird  is,  like  many  of  the  finest  things  in  the 
world,  not  striking,  but  exquisitely  delicate. 
The  glossy  bluish-black  of  other  Swallows  will 
easily  command  your  admiration,  but  this  bird  is 
by  far  the  most  beautiful. 

This  delightful  creature  is  perfectly  domestic, 
choosing  his  nesting-place  in  and  about  human 
dwellings.  He  still,  however,  to  some  extent, 
rears  his  family  in  holes  of  trees  in  the  woods,— 
his  constant  habit  before  human  habitations  be- 
came numerous.  He  welcomes  a  bird-house, 
while  he  will  enter  through  a  knot-hole,  or  any 
opening  in  cornice  or  gable,  to  find  a  secure 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         101 

home  for  his  young.  Mr.  Ross  Nicholas,  of 
Portland,  Oregon,  reports  an  example  of  the 
tireless  labor  that  these  birds  will  put  forth  in 
the  construction  of  a  nest.  A  pair  having  dis- 
covered a  way  into  the  eaves  of  a  house,  found  a 
space  of  three  feet  below  the  opening,  and,  with 
a  courage  and  patience  that  ought  to  be  the  envy 
of  man,  proceeded  to  build  up  the  nest,  straw  by 
straw,  until  it  stood  level  with  the  entrance. 

I  have  said  that  Swallows  do  not  sing,  but 
this  bird's  note  is  more  than  a  twitter  —  more 
like  a  soft  song. 

The  Violet-green  Swallow  should  never  be 
confused  with  the  Eave  Swallow  and  driven 
away,  lest  mud  nests  be  built  against  the  sides 
of  the  house.  A  distinguishing  mark  between 
the  two  birds  is  the  seemingly  white  rump, 
when  the  "  Violet-green  "  is  on  the  wing.  This 
appearance  is  caused  by  the  white  from  under- 
neath extending  so  far  around  the  sides  of  the 
rump  ;  the  latter  is,  in  reality,  a  mingled  color  — 
bluish-green  with  rich  plum-purple. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. — Effect  of  all  above,  a 
soft  rich  green,  but  head  and  neck  and  sometimes  back, 
shaded  with  purple  to  a  violet-green  tint  in  center  of 


IO2        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

rump  ;  white  patches  on  sides  of  rump  often  give  effect 
of  continuous  white  when  the  bird  is  on  the  wing.  All 
below,  pure  white.  Mr.  Charles  A.  Keeler  thus  describes 
this  Swallow :  "  Above,  a  soft,  rich  green,  changing  to  a 
purplish-brown  on  the  crown,  and  to  violet-purplish  on 
the  upper  tail-coverts."  By  "  tail-coverts  "  is  meant  the 
feathers  above  and  below,  which  lap  over  the  tail  from 
the  body. 

Only  a  summer  resident,  spending  the  winter 
with  the  other  Swallows  in  the  tropics.  Due  in 
the  locality  of  the  Columbia  River  about  April 
ist,  sometimes  a  week  earlier. 


THE  CLIFF,   OR  EAVE,   SWALLOW. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  bluish-black.. 
Under  parts  :  brown  and  white. 
Length,  6  inches. 

Formerly,  like  all  the  large  Swallow  family, 
the  Cliff  or  Eave  Swallows  lived  far  from  human 
dwellings.  But  they  are  now,  like  so  many  of 
their  kind,  found  about  buildings,  although  they 
still,  to  a  considerable  extent,  make  their  curious 
nests  upon  the  sides  of  cliffs.  These  mud  nests 
are  pocket-shaped,  and  are  literally  glued  to  per- 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        103 

pendicular  surfaces.  The  birds  sometimes  add 
mud  house  to  mud  house  until  their  homes  can 
be  counted  by  hundreds  on  the  side  of  a  cliff. 
These  Swallows  become  much  attached  to  one 
locality,  and,  if  allowed,  will  return  to  it  year 
after  year. 

They  are  beautiful,  gentle  and  winsome ;  and 
if  one  really  learns  to  love  them,  he  will  not 
begrudge  them  a  place  on  the  side  of  the 
barn,  or  even,  sometimes,  upon  the  side  of  the 
house. 

To  one  who  has  eyes,  the  marvelous  houses 
built  by  these  feathered  architects  will  be  more 
artistic  than  certain  "ginger-bread"  work  that 
we  so  often  see  around  cornices. 

Between  the  Eave  and  the  Violet-green  Swal- 
lows we  may  never  lack  for  entertainment  and 
objects  of  loving  interest  around  our  homes  in 
the  summer  months. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  Male  and  Female: 
Whitish  forehead  ;  crown  and  back,  steel  lustrous  blue ; 
rump,  rusty  or  buffy;  throat,  chestnut,  with  blackish 
area  ;  breast,  light  brown ;  lower  under  parts,  white. 

Summer  resident.  An  early  arrival.  A  few 
come  in  March,  and  the  body  in  early  April. 


IO4        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

THE  WHITE-BELLIED,  OR  TREE,  SWALLOW. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  dark  steel-blue. 

Under  parts  :  pure  white. 

Length,  6  inches. 

Found  about  hollow  trees  in  the  woods,  and  particu- 
larly, in  trees  about  sloughs. 

This  is  the  first  Swallow  to  appear  in  the 
spring,  and  may  be  seen  in  scattering  numbers 
early  in  March,  and  arrives  in  this  latitude  in 
abundance  before  April  ist.  In  the  East,  he,  too, 
comes  and  asks  to  share  man's  home  with  him, 
welcoming,  as  the  Violet-green  Swallow  does 
here,  a  bird-house  or  an  opening  in  the  gable 
or  eaves. 

Like  his  cousins,  his  former  home  was  en- 
tirely in  the  wilds,  and,  as  his  name  indicates, 
in  the  trees  of  the  forest.  But  here,  as  in 
the  East,  we  may  at  some  time  expect  him 
often  to  prefer  to  share  our  home,  and  let  us 
in  turn  share  his  beauty  of  appearance  and 
movement,  and  also  his  delight  in  life,  so  mani- 
fest by  a  constant  warbling-twitter  while  per- 
forming his  bewildering,  tireless  evolutions  on 
the  wing. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         105 

This  member  of  the  family  is  not  nearly  so 
numerous  on  this  coast  as  the  Violet -green  or 
the  Cliff  Swallow ;  but  it  is  common  enough 
about  our  sloughs  to  be  easily  identified. 

No  detailed  description  of  the  bird  is  pos- 
sible or  needed,  as  it  has  just  the  two  colors 
given  in  the  "General  Description."  Indeed, 
its  scientific  name  has  in  it  the  word  "  bi-col- 
or."  The  female  is  a  little  duller  in  color  than 
the  male. 

Like  other  Swallows,  it  is  found,  when  nest- 
ing, near  its  home  ;  but  before  and  after,  it  cov- 
ers the  open  country  in  its  rapid  flight,  search- 
ing for  insects. 

A  summer  resident.  The  first  of  the  Swal- 
lows to  appear  and  the  last  to  disappear  in  north- 
ern latitudes  in  the  East.  Here,  it  is  reported 
to  be  the  first  to  leave. 

Sometimes  when  insect  food  is  scarce,  this 
bird  eats  bayberries  ;  but  it  is  the  only  Swallow 
that  ever  eats  anything  but  insects. 

This  is  the  only  one  of  the  family,  too,  that 
spends  the  winter  in  the  United  States  —  the 
others  wintering  in  South  America. 


io6        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

THE  BARN  SWALLOW. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  glittering  steel-blue. 

Under  parts:    chestnut-brown,  with    tail   deeply 

forked. 

Length,  7  inches. 

Found  around  barns  and  out-buildings,  while  nest- 
ing; and  far  afield  while  feeding,  and  after  breeding  is 
over. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  Barn  Swallow  is 
not  more  generally  distributed  throughout  the 
North  Pacific  States.  It  is  expected  that  it 
will  become  a  more  frequent  and  familiar  resi- 
dent about  our  farms  and  in  our  villages,  if  we 
give  it  tokens  of  hospitable  welcome,  such  as 
offering  entrance  to  our  barns  through  an  open 
window  or  through  a  hole  in  the  gable. 

Even  now  it  is  very  abundant  in  certain  local- 
ities, especially  upon  the  coast  in  Tillamook 
County,  Oregon,  and  about  Cape  Disappoint- 
ment, Washington. 

Probably  no  bird  is  more  associated  with  the 
country  boy's  life,  in  the  East,  than  this  arrow- 
like  but  tame  bird,  that  glides  in  and  out  of  barn 
doors  and  windows,  ministering  to  the  wants 
of  the  brood  of  little  ones  in  the  mud  nests  stuck 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         1 07 

to  the  beams  or  rafters  overhead,  where  can  be 
heard  all  day  the  soft  purr  and  sweet  chatter 
of  old  and  young  in  their  peaceful  domestic 
life. 

All  Swallows  are  miracles  upon  the  wing ;  but 
no  other  of  the  family  has  the  equipment  for 
speed  and  sudden  turn  that  this  one  has  —  the 
forked  tail  and  a  little  stronger  wing  furnishing 
him  with  the  power  for  this  excellence. 

In  coloring,  this  Swallow  need  not  be 
ashamed,  for,  in  addition  to  the  rich,  lustrous 
blue  of  its  back,  its  chestnut  breast  glistens  in 
the  sun  like  a  polished  surface. 

Though  the  Swallows  on  the  beams  and  raft- 
ers do  soil  somewhat  our  barns  and  sheds,  is 
not  the  pleasure  they  give  in  their  sweet  fellow- 
ship of  home-making,  and  in  their  ministry  of 
beauty,  ample  reward  ? 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  Male:  Forehead,  ru- 
fous ;  head  and  back,  glistening  steel-blue,  shading  to 
black ;  throat,  rufous ;  breast  and  under  parts,  brilliant 
buff  that  glistens  in  the  sun  ;  an  irregular  collar  of  bluish- 
black  ;  tail,  very  deeply  forked,  with  long,  slender  outer 
tail-feathers. 

Summer  resident. 


ic8         Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

THE  BANK  SWALLOW. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :    brownish-gray,  no  metallic  color- 
ing. 

Under  parts :  white. 
Length,  5  inches. 

Found  around  river  banks,  and,  like  other  Swallows, 
wide  rovers  over  field  and  marsh. 

This  is  the  smallest  of  the  Swallows,  and,  like 
the  Cliff  Swallow,  it  nests  in  colonies,  choosing 
for  settlement,  as  a  rule,  sandy  river  banks,  in 
which  with  its  little  bill  and  small  feet  it  bores 
holes  two  or  three  feet  deep  —  a  thing  seemingly 
impossible  to  do  with  such  tiny  implements. 
The  holes  are  only  far  enough  apart  to  avoid 
coincidence,  and  at  the  end  of  each  is  the  nest, 
lined  with  grasses  and  rootlets. 

These  large  communities  of  feathered  neigh- 
bors dwell  most  happily  together,  and  habitu- 
ally leave  their  homes  with  a  "  giggling  twitter  " 
—  one  of  the  cheeriest  notes  along  the  river 
banks.  The  homes  are  of  frequent  occurrence 
along  the  Willamette  and  elsewhere  in  these 
States. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         1 09 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  Male  and  female : 
Head,  back  and  tail,  grayish-brown  or  clay-color;  upper 
wings  and  tail,  darkest;  breast,  white  with  brownish 
band  across ;  abdomen,  white ;  tail,  though  rounded, 
more  nearly  square  than  that  of  other  Swallows,  and 
obscurely  edged  with  white ;  a  little  tuft  of  feathers  at 
the  base  of  the  toes. 

Summer  resident. 


THE  ROUGH-WINGED  SWALLOW. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Not  unlike  the  Bank  Swallow. 

Length,  5.5  inches. 

Found  in  the  same  localities  as  Bank  Swallows,  and 
as  other  Swallows  when  on  the  wing. 

This  is  really  another  sort  of  Bank  Swallow, 
nesting,  as  it  does,  in  holes  in  river  banks. 

Its  habits  are  quite  identical  with  those  of  the 
Bank  Swallow.  It  is  chiefly  distinguished  by 
the  peculiarity  which  gives  it  its  name,  viz. : 
the  outer  edge  of  the  first  flight-feather  has  a 
series  of  stiff  hooks  upon  it.  Its  breast  is  also 
a  little  grayish  but  without  the  band. 

A  summer  resident.  Arrives  and  departs 
with  the  Bank  Swallow. 


no        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

THE  WESTERN  MARTIN. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  :  ^ 

Male  :    Glossy  purplish-black  above  and  below. 
Female :  Bluish-black,  less  clear  above ;  whitish 

below. 
Length,  8  inches. 

Found  about  houses  and  hollow  trees. 

This  is  one  of  the  family  of  Swallows,  and  yet 
is  so  individual  in  nearly  all  ways  that  we  must 
regard  the  bird  a  little  apart  from  his  relatives. 
He  is  much  larger  than  any  of  the  Swallows 
(the  length  of  the  Barn  Swallow's  outer  tail- 
feathers  must  not  be  taken  into  account).  The 
color  of  the  male,  strikingly  beautiful,  is  alto- 
gether unlike  that  of  any  other  Swallow.  Then 
its  flight  is  higher,  less  swift,  less  free  and  exten- 
sive. It  alone  of  all  its  kindred  has  a  full 
rich  voice,  which  all  day  long,  while  the  bird 
is  on  the  wing  or  at  rest,  may  be  heard  like 
"musical  laughter  rippling  up  from  the  throat." 

The  eastern  variety,  almost  exactly  like  the 
western,  has  from  time  unknown  preferred  the 
home  made  for  it  by  man  —  the  Indian,  before 
the  white  race  appeared,  having  placed  a  hol- 
lowed gourd  lined  with  bark  in  the  crotch  of  his 
tent  poles,  to  invite  the  Martin's  friendship. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        1 1 1 

But  in  the  East  no  bird  has  suffered  so  much 
from  the  English  Sparrow  as  the  Purple  Martin, 
through  the  pre-emption  by  the  Sparrows  of  the 
houses  intended  for  their  betters. 

It  is  to  be  regretted  that  the  Purple  Martin 
is  not  more  numerous  and  more  generally  dis- 
tributed in  this  section  of  the  country.  But 
they  are  quite  numerous  in  special  localities  and 
already  are  preferring  to  nest  about  houses 
rather  than  in  the  hollow  trees.  They  were 
seen  and  heard  by  the  writer  at  St.  Helens,  on 
the  Columbia  River,  in  May,  1899,  and  in  the 
spring  of  1901  were  found  nesting  in  and  about 
the  city  of  Tacoma. 

If  we  keep  several  bird-houses  on  our  premises, 
we  may  succeed  in  bringing  a  pair  of  these  de- 
light-giving creatures  to  pass  each  spring  and 
summer  with  us ;  for,  once  hospitably  enter- 
tained, they  will  return  as  regularly  as  the  sea- 
sons. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male :  Rich  glossy 
black,  with  bluish  and  purple  tints ;  duller  black  on  the 
wings  and  tail ;  wings  rather  longer  than  tail,  which  is 
forked. 

Female :  As  above. 


112         Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Only  a  summer  resident.  Arrives  in  mid- 
April. 

THE   CEDAR  WAXWING   (" Cherry  Bird "). 
GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

A  crested  bird.     General    color,    grayish-brown, 
tinged  with  plum  color.     Very  neat  appearance 
and  quiet  manner  when  perching. 
Length,  7  inches. 

Found  all  over  settled  parts  of  the  country  in  small 
flocks,  except  in  nesting-season  in  June. 

Combined  exquisiteness  of  dress,  gentleness  of 
disposition,  politeness  of  manners,  almost  lisping 
song  and  whispered  conversation,  distinguish  the 
Cedar  Waxwing  from  all  other  birds.  The  Blue- 
bird has  been  previously  described  as  gentle- 
manly or  ladylike,  and  so  it  is,  in  looks  and 
general  manner.  But  the  Waxwing  outranks  it 
in  these  respects  and  in  the  others  named. 

With  regard  to  his  dress,  some  might  call  the 
bird  a  "dandy,"  so  exquisitely  neat  and  perfect 
is  he.  But  a  second  thought  will  cause  us  to  re- 
gard his  attire  rather  as  a  work  of  fine  art ;  the 
perfect  crest,  the  vinaceous  tint  in  the  predom- 
inating soft,  gray-brown  plumage,  the  velvety 
black  line  across  the  eye  and  around  the  fore- 


Boy  and  Cedar  Wax-wing. 


(See  page  256.) 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        113 

head,  the  dainty  red  waxlike  spots  upon  the 
wings,  as  if  each  one  had  been  placed  there  from 
without  by  the  divine  Master  Artist  Himself,  the 
finished  yellow  edge  upon  the  tail,  all  together 
give  an  impression  of  perfect  quiet  beauty  that  is 
unique  in  our  experience  of  birds. 

As  to  manners,  Nuttall  describes  their  polite- 
ness to  each  other  as  they  go  about  in  flocks. 
He  says  he  has  often  seen  them  passing  a  worm 
along  the  line  from  one  to  another  and  back 
again  before  it  was  finally  eaten. 

Their  song  is  a  lisping  "  Twee-twee-ze."  Their 
communications  while  in  social  tete-a-tete  upon 
a  tree  are,  as  suggested,  in  a  whisper  evidently 
intended  only  for  each  other's  ears. 

Owing  to  their  food  habits  they  are,  like 
Robins,  rovers  when  not  nesting.  They  must 
find  cedarberries,  canker-worms,  wild  or  culti- 
vated fruit ;  and  they  fare  forth  for  these  with  a 
range  even  wider  than  the  Swallow's,  as  nightfall 
does  not  call  them  back  to  any  fixed  roosting- 
place, 

The  bird's  fondness  for  cherries  arouses  the 
hostility  of  some  men.  But  again  we  ask,  is  it 
right  to  destroy  such  a  perfect  "  thing  of  beauty  " 


114        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

and  such  an  enemy  of  the  deadliest  foe  of  shade 
and  fruit  trees  —  the  canker-worm  —  because  the 
bird  does  sometimes  take  a  share  of  the  fruit 
that  it  helps  to  raise  ? 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male  :  Above,  grayish- 
brown,  varying  with  plum-colored  tints  to  ashy ;  black 
forehead ;  chin,  black ;  breast,  lighter  than  back ;  ab- 
domen, yellowish ;  under  tail-coverts,  white ;  yellow  tips 
on  tail. 

Female :  Duller  plumage,  smaller  crest  and  narrower 
yellow  band  on  tail. 

Mostly  a  summer  resident. 


THE  WARBLERS. 

Two  of  this  family,  the  Audubon's  Warbler 
and  the  Pacific  Yellow-throat,  have  already  been 
described,  because  they  come  so  early  to  our 
latitude,  and  so  certain  are  they  to  be  the  first 
to  attract  attention.  There  are  others  of  this 
family  which  we  must  recognize,  some  of  which 
are  very  abundant  though  arriving  later  in  our 
neighborhoods. 

No  one  can  tell  just  why  the  Warblers  are 
called  Warblers  ;  they  do  not  many  of  them  (and 
they  are  a  large  family)  warble  in  song  more 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        1 1 5 

than  other  birds,  while  some  do  not  warble  at 
all.  But  they  are  alike  in  their  habits.  They 
are  the  birds  of  the  trees  and  the  leaves.  They 
live  among  the  leaves  and  feed  upon  the  insects 
which  they  gather  from  them.  Sometimes,  too, 
some  of  them  take  an  insect  on  the  wing  as  do 
the  Flycatchers. 

Except  when  upon  a  nest,  or  at  night,  they  are 
ever  in  motion,  searching  leaf  after  leaf  for  their 
food. 

They  are  all  small  birds,  all  of  them  well 
dressed,  many  of  them  exquisitely  plumaged. 
Besides  the  two  mentioned,  the  following  are 
more  or  less  common  in  Oregon  and  Washing- 
ton, and  may  be  quite  easily  identified.  The 
Yellow,  Lutescent,  Macgillivray's,  Black-throated 
Gray  and  Pileolated  Warblers ;  also  the  Long- 
tailed  Chat. 


THE   YELLOW,    OR   SUMMER,   WARBLER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  yellow  and  olive-green. 

Under  parts  :  light  yellow. 

Length,  4.75  to  5.2  inches. 
Found  in  shade-trees,  orchards  and  edges  of  woods. 


1 1 6        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

This  beautiful  little  bit  of  animated  sunshine 
makes  glad  the  summer  days  everywhere  through 
temperate  North  America,  from  ocean  to  ocean, 
except  where  there  are  no  deciduous  trees.  It 
may  be  before  the  foliage  is  well  developed  that 
he  will  arrive  from  the  tropics  of  the  Southern 
Continent.  He  is  our  most  common  Warbler, 
whose  rather  metallic  and  oft-repeated  "  Wee- 
chee,  chee,  cher-wee  "  may  be  heard  from  nearly 
every  shade-tree  in  our  cities,  as  well  as  along 
the  country  roads  and  in  the  orchards. 

As  abundant  as  he  is,  you  may  not  at  once 
espy  this  persistent  singer,  as  he  loves  the  ob- 
scurity of  the  thick  leaves. 

No  one  should  mistake  him  for  the  Goldfinch 
or  "  Wild  Canary,"  as  is  sometimes  done,  for 
this  bird  has  no  black  upon  him,  and  his  habits 
and  flight  are  entirely  different. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male  :  Brighter  yellow 
on  head  and  neck  ;  back,  tinged  with  olive-green ;  wings 
and  tail,  dusky  olive-brown ;  breast  and  abdomen,  bright 
yellow,  streaked  with  brown. 

Female :  Like  male,  only  duller  and  no  streaks 
below. 

Summer  resident. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         1 1  / 

THE   LUTESCENT   WARBLER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  light  olive-green. 

Under  parts  :  bright  greenish-yellow. 

Length,  5  inches. 
Found  in  trees  of  thick  foliage. 

While  listening  to  and  searching  for  the  Yel- 
low Warbler,  we  shall  hear  another  and  oft -re- 
peated song  in  the  same  trees  ;  and  if  we  are  not 
careful,  when  we  see  its  author,  we  shall  confuse 
it  with  the  female  of  the  Yellow  Warbler.  It  is  of 
nearly  the  same  size  as  that  bird,  —  a  little  small- 
er. It  is  yellow,  too,  but  of  a  darker  olive-green- 
ish tint  throughout,  and  his  song  is  not  to  be 
mistaken,  once  it  is  recognized.  The  bird  hides 
more  persistently  in  the  foliage  than  the  Yellow 
Warbler,  and  will  be  more  difficult  to  catch  under 
the  opera-glass.  But  he  may  be  found  visiting 
the  leaves  of  apple  or  other  fruit  trees,  for  fare 
for  himself  and  young,  and  may  then  be  particu- 
larly observed.  Arrives  in  first  part  of  April. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  As  in  general  descrip- 
tion, also  an  "  obscure  crown-patch  of  orange-brown." 
(Keeler.) 

Female :  Duller  color. 

Summer  resident. 


1 1 8         Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

MACGILLIVRAY'S   WARBLER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Head,  dark  gray ;  back,  olive-green ;  black  spot 
between  eye  and  bill. 

Length,  5.75  inches. 
Found  in  bushes  and  thick  low  growth. 

When  looking  for  other  birds  some  day,  you 
will  find  one  that  will  strike  your  attention  im- 
mediately because  of  the  black  spot  referred  to 
in  the  general  description.  This  will  at  once 
identify  him,  and  he  will  seem  to  you,  probably, 
less  restless  than  the  other  warblers  you  have 
found.  You  may,  at  your  leisure,  learn  his  song 
and  habits 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  As  in  general  descrip- 
tion, also  throat  and  upper  part  of  breast,  dark  gray ; 
below  this,  bright  yellow. 

Summer  resident. 

BLACK-THROATED   GRAY   WARBLER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Black  throat ;  black,  white  and  gray  all  over,  ex- 
cept yellow  spot  in  front  of  eye. 

Length,  4.7  to  5.4  inches. 
Found  in  evergreen  tree-tops. 

Some  time,  when  you  are  under  the  ever- 
greens, you  will  notice  some  little  restless  crea- 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         119 

tures,  mostly  high  up  in  the  spiny  limbs.  Your 
glass  will  bring  them  to  your  recognition  as  the 
Black-throated  Gray  Warblers.  This  variety  of 
Warbler  lives,  feeds,  and  nests  in  those  high 
places  over  your  head.  This  strange  and  far- 
away habit  will  at  the  same  time  interest  and 
tease  you,  so  beyond  convenient  range  does  it 
take  these  tiny  birds.  Hard  enough  would  it  be 
to  see  them  well,  were  their  restless  bodies 
nearer  the  earth.  But  are  we  not  always  more 
curious  about  the  creatures  that  are  not  near  ? 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  Head,  black;  yellow 
spot  in  front  of  eye ;  back,  bluish-gray  streaked  with 
black ;  throat,  black ;  breast  and  under  parts,  white ; 
sides,  streaked  with  black. 

Female :  Colors  duller,  and  throat  mixed  somewhat 
with  white. 

Summer  resident. 

THE   LONG-TAILED   CHAT. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

All  above,  olive-gray  ;  long  tail ;    breast,  bright 
yellow ;   under  parts,  white ;  bill,  rather  long, 
and  upper  mandible,  curved. 
Length,  7.5  inches. 

Found,  usually,  in  and  about  thickets  around  swamps 
and  streams. 


1 20         Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Some  day  this  strange  bird  will  reveal  himself 
to  you,  not  alone  in  his  wild,  varied  and  chatter- 
ing song,  but  in  his  really  funny  antics  upon  the 
wing.  He  is,  of  all  the  birds  that  we  shall 
know,  "the  funny  bird."  He  sings  a  rollicking, 
imitative  and  frolicsome  song,  running  through 
how  many  keys  and  forms,  only  those  know  who 
have  heard  him.  Some  have  tried  to  write  down 
the  medley  of  the  Yellow-breasted  Chat  of  the 
East,  which  is  very  like  our  own  in  song  and 
habits.  Mr.  Burroughs  has  expressed  it  thus : 
"  Now  he  barks  like  a  puppy,  then  quacks  like  a 
duck,  then  rattles  like  a  kingfisher,  then  squalls, 
like  a  fox,  then  caws  like  a  crow,  then  mews  like 
a  cat  ...  C-r-r-r-r-r-whrr — that's  it — chee  — 
quack,  cluck,  yit-yit-yit  —  now  hit  it  —  tr-r-r  — 
when — caw — caw — cut,  cut  —  tea-boy,  —  who, 
who  —  mew,  mew.'' 

His  actions  befit  his  song  ;  often  upon  the 
wing,  a  little  way  above  the  thicket,  he  will 
tumble  in  air,  dropping  his  legs,  flapping  his 
wings,  and  all  the  time  chattering  his  rollicking 
song. 

When  you  see  him  in  the  bushes,  his  manner 
is  that  of  "a  mischief."  He  looks  as  if  he 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         121 

might,  if  he  could  trust  himself  to  do  it,  tickle 
your  ear  or  play  hide-the-handkerchief  with  you. 

Our  funny  bird  cannot  be  satisfied  with  the 
day  to  sing  in.  Many  times  in  the  night,  and 
particularly  upon  moonlight  nights,  you  may 
hear  his  good  spirits  bubbling  over  in  his  varied 
song. 

Though  the  Chat  is  classed  with  the  War- 
blers, one  can  hardly  think  of  him  as  belonging 
to  this  family. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male:  As  in  general 
description  ;  also  two  white  lines  on  face,  one  above  the 
eye,  one  below ;  eyelids,  white ;  lores  (spot  between  eye 
and  bill),  black  ;  under  tail-coverts,  white. 

Female :  Duller  colors. 

Summer  resident. 

THE   PILEOLATED   WARBLER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :   black  cap  and  bright  olive-green 
back. 

Under  parts  :  bright  yellow. 

Length,  5  inches. 
Found  in  swampy  woods. 

This  Warbler  is  the  western  variety  of  the 
eastern  Wilson,  or  Black-capped  Warbler,  and 


122        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

will  not  be  found  in  Oregon,  or  in  southern 
Washington,  perhaps,  except  in  migration.  But 
in  northern  Washington,  about  Puget  Sound,  he 
is  not  rare,  nesting  in  these  parts. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Forehead,  bright  yel- 
low, in  males ;  center  of  crown,  black ;  back,  bright 
olive-green  ;  under  parts,  bright  yellow. 

Summer  resident. 


THE  BULLOCK'S  ORIOLE. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Male:  Black  head  and  back;  large  white  wing- 
patch  ;  rest  of  body,  bright  orange-yellow  and 
orange-red. 
Length,  8  inches. 
Found  in  willow,  elm  and  other  shade-trees. 

Bird-lore  is  full  of  references  to  the  Oriole. 
Because  of  their  bright  colors,  their  attractive 
song  and  unique  nests,  these  birds  have  always 
commanded  more  or  less  appreciation,  even  from 
those  who  seldom  notice  birds  in  general. 

The  East  has  the  advantage  of  us  in  respect 
to  Orioles,  as  it  has  in  respect  to  Tanagers.  The 
Baltimore  Oriole,  the  "  Golden  Robin "  or 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         1 2  3 

"  Hangbird,"  has  wide  fame,  and  its  more  mod- 
est relative,  the  Orchard  Oriole,  is  beloved  of  all 
who  know  his  song.  Rare  specimens  of  the 
Bullock's  Oriole  equal,  perhaps,  the  Baltimore 
Oriole  in  glory  of  color ;  but  in  song  the  bird  is 
always  inferior  to  its  eastern  cousin.  The  Bul- 
lock's Oriole  is  found  as  far  east  as  Kansas. 

The  eastern  Oriole's  song  is  a  rich  whistle, 
while  our  western  bird  utters  a  music  so 
strangely  remote  from  anything  Oriole-like,  that 
one  would  never  guess  that  it  came  from  his 
throat  unless  he  caught  him  in  the  act  —  as  I  did, 
after  three  weeks'  guessing  what  new  and  strange 
bird  in  the  high  shade-trees  sang,  not  too  gener- 
ously, his  "  Keu,  keu-a-keu,  keu,  keu."  The 
beauty  of  color,  however,  is  great  enough  to  ex- 
cite our  admiration ;  and  its  song  is  sufficiently 
sweet  to  delight  our  ear ;  while  its  nest,  hung 
like  a  flexible  basket,  or  even  like  a  deep,  round 
satchel,  from  the  swaying  limb  of  some  tree, 
never  fails  to  bring  out  the  exclamation,  "  What 
man  could  do  that ! " 

This  bird  sings  and  nests  high,  and  some  day 
a  song  in  the  tree-tops  will  please,  and  at  the 
same  time  puzzle,  unless  you  can  see  the  west- 


1 24        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

ern  "  Golden  Robin "  which  utters  it.  But  a 
careful  observation  will  reveal  the  singer  and  his 
curious  nest. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male:  Head,  upper 
part  of  back  and  narrow  throat-patch,  black  ;  tail,  black 
and  yellow ;  a  large  white  wing-patch  ;  rest  of  body, 
orange-yellow  to  orange-red. 

Summer  resident. 


THE   VIREOS. 

There  is  a  numerous  family  in  America  of 
little  olivaceous-backed  birds,  that  keep  a  sharp 
eye  for  insects  upon  the  outer  surface  of  the 
foliage  of  the  trees.  They  are  nearly  all  sweet, 
cheery  and  persistent  singers.  Their  nests  are, 
with  those  of  the  Bush-Tit  and  the  Oriole,  pen- 
dant, pocket-like  affairs,  and  the  nests  of  the 
different  varieties  of  Vireos  are  so  much  alike 
that  we  may  not  hope  to  tell  "  which  is  which," 
unless  we  catch  the  birds  upon,  or  near  by,  these 
most  interesting  homes. 

Our  two  States  seem  to  have  only  two  of  the 
family  which  are  common,  Cassin's  and  the 
Warbling  Vireo.  There  is  one  other  here,  less 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         125 

common,  known  as  Hutton's,  and  another  very 
rare,  bearing  the  name  of  Mr.  A.  W.  Anthony 
—  Anthony's  Vireo. 


THE  WARBLING  VIREO. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  clear  grayish-olive. 
Under  parts  :  whitish.     The  sides  are  yellowish. 
Length,  5  to  5.55  inches. 

Found  in  tops  of  shade-trees  in  town,  soon  after 
arrival.  Then  they  disappear  for  nesting,  and  return 
later. 

This  member  of  the  Vireo  family  is  distributed 
over  nearly  the  whole  of  North  America.  I 
have  heard  him  sing  in  New  England,  in  the 
southern  Middle  States  and  in  Minnesota.  And 
here  again  "  His  continuous  flowing  warble  with 
an  alto  undertone  "  (Chapman),  may  be  heard 
late  in  May  in  the  thick  foliage  of  our  shade- 
trees  ;  but  he  may  not  easily  be  seen,  even  with 
a  glass.  His  song  will  be  heard  there  morning 
and  afternoon,  though  not  toward  evening.  It 
is  said  by  some  to  resemble  that  of  the  Purple 
Finch.  He  sings  while  in  constant  motion, 
seeking  his  food. 


126        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head,  brownish-gray  ; 
a  faint  whitish  line  over  eye ;  back,  clear  olive-gray ; 
wings,  greenish-olive ;  breast,  dull  white ;  pale  yellowish 
sides. 

Summer  resident. 


CASSIN'S  VIREO. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper    parts :     bluish    head    and  grayish-olive 

back. 

Under  parts :  dull  white  with  yellowish  sides. 
Length,  5  to  5.6  inches. 

Found  in  partly  open  country,  in  deciduous  trees  of 
rather  low  growth. 

Cassin's  Vireo  is  another  bird  that  belongs 
chiefly  to  the  Pacific  coast.  It  is,  like  the  birds 
of  other  families  already  named  belonging  to 
the  western  part  of  the  continent,  a  bird  to  re- 
joice in.  His  song  is  characteristically  vireoish 
—  a  kind  of  warble  with  a  touch  of  the  metallic 
in  it. 

He  may  be  distinguished  from  the  warbling 
Vireo  by  his  lower  perch,  by  his  less  flowing 
song,  and  also  by  his  markings,  which  are  alto- 
gether his  own. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         127 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  As  above,  bluish  head ; 
a  conspicuous  white  line  about  his  eye,  and  two  white 
wing-bars. 

Summer  resident. 


THE  BLACK-HEADED  GROSBEAK. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Male :  Upper  parts :  head  and  back,  black ; 
neck,  orange-buffy ;  wings  and  tail,  with  white 
patches. 

Under  parts :  orange-brown  and  yellow. 
Length,  8  inches. 

May  often  be  seen  singing  upon  the  taller  trees  left 
standing  in  the  midst  of  younger  growth.  It  nests  in 
low  growth,  sometimes  near  water. 

Some  say  that  the  most  beautiful  singer 
amongst  the  birds  of  the  eastern  States  is  the 
Rose-breasted  Grosbeak.  A  member  of  the 
same  family,  belonging  exclusively  to  the  western 
part  of  the  continent,  holds  something  like  a 
corresponding  position  in  this  section.  Though 
it  is  less  varied,  his  song  has  the  same  general 
quality  as  that  of  the  Rose-breasted  Grosbeak. 
The  song  is  not  unlike  that  of  the  Robin  in  its 


128        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

general  form  ;  but  there  is  a  mellowness  about 
it,  and  running  through  it  "  a  rich  undertone," 
as  a  competent  judge  describes  it,  which  should 
charm  every  listener.  When  the  writer  first 
came  to  this  coast,  he  mistook,  for  an  instant, 
the  song  of  the  local  bird  for  that  of  the  Rose- 
breasted  Grosbeak,  owing  to  this  mellow  under- 
tone. 

The  male  bird's  color  is  notable  for  its  rich- 
ness, being  made  up  of  alternate  large  patches  of 
black  and  orange  or  red-buff.  The  form  and 
carriage  of  the  male  is  both  attractive  and  com- 
manding. His  body  looks  graceful  and  longer 
than  it  really  is,  as  he  sits  upon  his  perch,  sing- 
ing his  love-song,  like  a  master-bird  as  well  as  a 
master-musician . 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male:  Head,  black, 
sometimes  a  line  of  light  orange-brown  in  center  of  crown 
and  back  of  eye  ;  collar,  back  of  neck,  cinnamon-color ; 
back,  black  mixed  with  light  cinnamon,  sometimes  all 
black ;  rump,  cinnamon ;  wings  and  tail,  black,  varied 
with  white  ;  breast,  cinnamon  ;  abdomen,  yellow,  also  in- 
side of  wings. 

Female  :  Olive-brown,  instead  of  black  ;  under  parts, 
whitish,  streaked  on  sides ;  lining  of  wings,  lemon-color. 

Summer  resident. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         129 

THE  RUSSET-BACKED  THRUSH. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  from  russet  to  olive-brown. 
Under  parts  :  light  gray. 
Length,  7  inches. 

Found  in  young  deciduous  growth,  and  amongst  the 
trees  and  shrubs  of  large  places  in  towns  and  cities. 

The  Thrushes  (those  known  specifically  by 
that  name)  are  not  so  many  in  variety  in  Ore- 
gon and  Washington  as  in  the  East.  The  Rus- 
set-backed Thrush,  however,  like  some  other 
varieties  of  birds  already  mentioned,  belongs  ex- 
clusively to  this  side  of  the  American  continent. 
It  is  a  beautiful  singer,  as  befits  the  family,  and 
is  very  abundant. 

It  is  the  Pacific  coast  variety  of  the  Olive- 
backed  Thrush  of  the  East,  which  it  closely  re- 
sembles in  size  and  appearance,  the  breast  in 
the  two  being  almost  identical.  Its  call-note 
and  song  are  also  very  similar  to  those  of  the 
eastern  bird,  but  it  is  like  the  Wood  Thrush  in 
its  familiar  way  of  approaching  human  dwellings 
and  nesting  upon  grounds  even  within  our  cities. 
It  arrives  late,  about  the  last  of  May.  But  once 
here,  its  call-note,  a  short  whistle,  a  sound  pearl- 
like  for  liquid  roundness,  may  be  heard  from  the 


130        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

lower  limbs  of  town  trees ;  and  some  days  later, 
towards  sunset,  and  long  after,  you  will  hear  the 
Thrush-songs  from  many  quarters. 

This  bird  sings  at  other  times  to  be  sure  —  as 
in  the  early  morning  with  the  other  birds  —  but 
its  song  is  mostly  at  night,  and  even  into  the 
night ;  sometimes  when  darkness  has  almost 
entirely  settled  down,  the  sweet  and  yet  loud 
notes  of  this  Thrush  may  be  occasionally  heard. 
As  a  singer  it  ranks  amongst  our  half-dozen 
best,  and  its  arrival  should  be  eagerly  watched 
for,  and  its  song  enjoyed  for  the  five  or  six 
weeks  that  it  lasts. 

In  some  parts  of  Oregon  and  Washington, 
some  may  hear  the  even  sweeter  notes  of  the 
rare  Dwarf  Hermit  Thrush ;  but  most  people 
will  not  have  the  privilege  of  hearing  the  song 
of  any  other  member  of  this  family  beside  that 
of  the  Russet-backed  Thrush. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. — Head,  back,  wings  and 
tail,  sometimes  more  russet,  sometimes  more  olive-brown  ; 
a  whitish  ring  encircles  the  eye  ;  sides,  olive-gray  ;  breast, 
pale  buff  and  marked  with  small,  triangular  brown  spots  ; 
abdomen,  white. 

Summer  resident 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         131 

Some  reference  to  the  probable  presence  of 
a  few  of  one  or  two  species  of  imported  Thrushes 
in  certain  parts  of  Oregon,  will  be  made  in 
another  place. 


THE  FLYCATCHERS. 

This  is  a  peculiar  and  strongly  marked  family, 
the  different  members  of  which  resemble  each 
other  sufficiently  to  seem  almost  to  be  brothers 
and  sisters  from  the  same  nest,  varying  in  size 
and  other  ways  only  as  much  as  brothers  and 
sisters  do  in  other  than  bird-families.  They  not 
only  look  alike,  but  they  act  so  much  alike  that 
you  may  know,  in  a  general  way,  the  whole 
family  by  seeing  one  member  of  it. 

Their  name  indicates  their  habits,  but  not 
their  appearance.  You  will  see  these  birds  in 
different  sizes,  and  with  slight  variations  in  color 
and  form,  sitting  quietly  upon  some  tree-top  or 
lower  dead  limb,  hunched  up  as  if  sick,  or  en- 
tirely relaxed  in  sleep.  But  woe  to  the  fly  that 
should  approach  one  of  them,  assuming  this  to 
be  the  case,  for,  quick  as  a  flash,  the  apparently 
sleepy  or  sick  bird  darts  at  the  insect,  has  it  in 


132        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

his  mouth  and  stomach,  and  is  back  again  upon 
the  very  same  perch,  ready  for  the  next  unwary 
fly  or  gnat  that  ventures  in  his  neighborhood. 

The  Flycatchers  all  have,  in  general,  upper 
parts  from  olive  to  dark  slate-color,  darker  head 
and  tail,  sometimes  quite  black,  with  more  or  less 
grayish-white  on  breast.  In  form  they  are,  while 
sitting,  awkward,  and  suggest  a  dwarf  race,  hav- 
ing apparently  —  owing  to  a  short  neck  — a  large 
head  in  proportion  to  the  body ;  while  the  bird 
is  in  repose  the  tail  is  dropped  as  low  as  the 
Wren's  is  held  high,  and  the  wings  droop  as 
they  do  in  a  sick  canary  or  chicken.  Five 
species  of  this  family  are  represented  in  the  accom- 
panying picture,  and  furnish  an  excellent  illus- 
tration of  general  resemblances  and  particular 
differences  in  these  related  birds.  They  have 
no  song,  only  a  call,  which  is,  in  all  of  the  varie- 
ties described  in  this  book  (with  the  exception  of 
an  occasional  note  from  the  Pewee),  rather  stri- 
dent, and  quite  in  harmony  with  the  whole  man- 
ner of  the  bird. 

They  are  a  very  interesting  family.  In  the 
East  and  in  California,  and  in  some  places  in 
Oregon  and  in  Washington,  one  species,  the 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         133 

Phoebe  bird,  is  domestic,  and  joins  the  Wrens, 
Bluebirds  and  Swallows  in  building  nests  in  and 
about  the  homes  of  men. 

THE  WESTERN  WOOD  PEWEE. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper    parts :    olive-brown ;    darker    on    head, 

wings  and  tail. 
Under  parts :  olive-gray,  interrupted  with  slight 

whitish  central-line,  from  the  throat  down. 
Length,  6.5  inches. 

Found  in  woods,  also  on  trees  and  telegraph-wires 
about  towns  and  cities. 

The  Pewee  is  the  most  common  of  the  Fly- 
catcher family  in  the  Willamette  Valley,  and 
perhaps  elsewhere.  It  seems  impossible  to  a 
person  familiar  with  the  Pewee  of  the  East  that 
the  one  on  the  Pacific  coast  can  bear  the  same 
name,  since  his  usual  cry  or  call  is  so  entirely 
different,  and  his  habit  of  coming  into  cities  and 
sitting  upon  telegraph-wires  so  altogether  unlike 
the  eastern  variety.  In  the  East,  the  Pewee  is 
found  in  the  lonely  woods,  where  its  ever-sad 
call  may  be  heard,  sounding  literally  like 
"  Pewee,"  slowly  and  mournfully  reiterated.  But 
here  the  customary  call  is  a  rather  strident 


1 34        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

sound,  and  not  unlike  the  cry  which  a  Night- 
hawk  makes  while  searching  the  upper  air  for 
his  insect  food.  Very  occasionally  the  true 
Pewee  note  is  heard. 

Dwellers  in  cities  are  fortunate,  however,  in 
not  having  to  go  to  the  woods  to  watch  the  fly- 
catching  habit  of  this  little  creature;  and,  in 
learning  his  way,  they  learn  the  way  of  all  the 
family.  See  him  dart  from  his  perch !  Then 
hear  his  bill  snap  as  he  seizes  the  unlucky  insect, 
and,  without  pausing  an  instant,  makes  the  loop 
back  to  the  place  that  he  has  just  left  ! 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  As  in  general  descrip- 
tion above,  with  this  addition ;  white  throat  and  abdo- 
men, the  latter  tinged  with  yellow. 

Summer  resident. 


THE  OLIVE-SIDED  FLYCATCHER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Very  like  the  Western  Wood  Pewee.     A  little 
larger. 

Length,  7  inches. 
Found  in  evergreen  tree-tops. 

This  Flycatcher  is  common  in  this   section, 
but  may  not  seem  so  to  one  who  does  not  know 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        135 

that  this  is  a  bird  of  the  tops  of  tall  evergreens, 
where  it  nests  and  from  whence  it  feeds. 

This  manner  of  life  will  enable  us  always  to 
recognize  him,  even  should  we  not  bring  him 
near  through  our  glass. 

Mr.  Herman  Bohlman,  of  Portland,  one  of  the 
most  accurate  and  thoroughly  informed  students 
of  local  ornithology,  says  of  this  bird  :  "  He  can 
always  be  recognized  by  his  exceedingly  loud 
call-note,  which  sounds  like  <  wee-chew/  the  first 
syllable  being  long  drawn  out  and  strongly  ac- 
cented/* 

In  color,  the  bird  so  nearly  resembles  the 
Pewee  that  one  must  almost  wait  for  the  wings 
to  be  spread  to  discover  the  distinguishing  white 
flank-tufts  which  are  concealed  by  the  wings 
while  the  bird  is  at  rest.  Another  difference  is 
in  the  white  central-line  down  the  breast,  which 
is  more  .distinct  in  this  member  of  the  family. 

TRAILL'S  FLYCATCHER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION: 
Upper  parts :  olive. 
Under  parts  :  white  and  yellow. 
Length,  6  inches. 


1 36        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

This  Flycatcher  is  probably  not  to  be  found  in  every 
locality  alike  in  this  section,  but  is  abundant'  in  some 
parts. 

This  is  the  western  variety  of  the  Alder  Fly- 
catcher of  the  East.  It  will  be  difficult  for 
many  of  us  to  distinguish  him.  In  order  to 
make  the  way  as  easy  as  possible,  I  give  Ridg- 
way's  more  technical 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  "  Above,  olive,  usually 
decidedly  grayer  on  head ;  wing-bands,  varying  from 
dull,  brownish-gray  to  nearly  white  ;  lower  parts,  white, 
tinged,  more  or  less,  with  sulphur-yellow  underneath,  and 
shaded  with  olive-grayish  on  sides  of  breast ;  under  wing- 
coverts,  very  pale  buffy-yellow." 

Summer  resident. 


THE  WESTERN  FLYCATCHER. 

This  member  of  the  family  is  on  the  average 
a  little  smaller  than  the  Traill's  Flycatcher,  and 
is  found  most  frequently  and  abundantly  near 
streams  and  in  canons. 

Ridgway  says  that  it  nests  in  clefts  of  old 
logs  or  stumps  and  that  its  nests  are  made  of 
moss  and  are  bulky.  Keeler  says,  "nests  on 
mossy  bank  by  stream,"  but  Mr.  H.  J.  Leland, 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        137 

of  Los  Angeles,  California,  and  others,  report  it 
as  nesting  also  in  shrubs,  like  water-alders,  as 
well  as  in  holes  in  river  banks. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head,  back  and  rump, 
grayish-olive ;  pale  wing-bands  ;  breast,  dull  yellowish  ; 
abdomen,  more  sulphur-yellow  ;  a  circle  of  dull  yellow 
about  the  eye. 

Length,  5.5  to  6  inches. 


THE  ARKANSAS  KINGBIRD. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Head,    neck   and   breast,  light   ashy-gray;    tail, 

black  ;  abdomen,  yellow. 
Length,  8  to  9.5  inches. 
'    Found  here  and  there  throughout  these  States. 

This  is  the  more  common  giant  Flycatcher  of 
these  States.  He  is  found  in  great  numbers 
in  the  eastern  section,  and  may  be  seen,  nesting 
upon  the  cross-bars  of  telegraph  poles  in  the 
cities  and  towns,  and  darting  about  the  streets 
for  insects.  He  is  given,  by  the  inhabitants  of 
these  towns,  the  false  name  which  the  people  of 
the  East  give  the  Kingbird  proper,  "  Bee  Mar- 
tin." Thus  farmers  and  others  often  make  the 
same  fatal  mistake  respecting  this  bird  that  they 


138        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

do  with  respect  to  others,  and  destroy  him. 
The  examination  of  the  stomachs  of  over  two 
hundred  Kingbirds  by  Professor  Beal,  of  the 
Agricultural  Department  at  Washington,  re- 
vealed the  fact  that  only  fourteen  of  the  total 
number  had  any  bees  at  all  in  them,  and  those 
were  mostly  drones  ;  while  sixty  per  cent  of  the 
contents  of  these  stomachs  consisted  of  injurious 
insects.  Every  protection  should  be  given  to 
these  benefactors  of  the  farmer,  and  they  will 
more  and  more  come  to  live  and  nest  in  our 
orchards. 

Though  a  "  King  of  the  Birds,"  he  is  not, 
as  is  generally  supposed,  a  tyrant  king,  un- 
less he  is  very  unlike  his  eastern  counterpart, 
"The  King-bird."  On  the  other  hand,  like 
the  bulldog  among  dogs  (unless  the  bulldog 
has  been  spoiled  in  training),  the  bird  is  just 
and  tolerant. 

These  birds  can  be  readily  distinguished  from 
the  other  members  of  their  family  by  their  size. 
They  are  much  larger. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head,  neck  and  breast, 
as  above,  light  ashy-gray  j  crown,  a  concealed  scarlet 
patch ;  back,  olive-gray ;  tail,  black,  with  white  web  of 


Olive  sided  Flycatcher. 

Kingbird.  Arkansas  Kingbird. 

Western  Flycatcher. 
Train's  Flycatcher. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        1 39 

outer    tail-feathers ;    abdomen,    and    sometimes    lower 
breast,  yellow. 

Summer  resident. 

THE  KINGBIRD. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  blackish-gray. 
Under  parts:  white. 
Length,  8.5  inches. 

Found  in  open  places,  nesting  in  trees  of 
moderate  size. 

The  Kingbird  of  the  East  is  not  generally 
distributed  in  this  section.  He  is  rare  in  the 
Willamette  Valley  and  southwestern  Washing- 
ton, but  is  not  uncommon  in  eastern  Oregon  and 
Washington,  and  is  reported  as  not  rare  about 
Puget  Sound. 

In  the  North  Atlantic  States,  he  is  to  be  found 
at  every  turn.  He  sits  upon  the  top  of  a  tree 
from  twenty  to  thirty  feet  high,  watching  for  the 
hapless  insect,  and  on  guard  against  bird-ene- 
mies of  all  kinds.  Not  even  the  predaceous 
crow  dare  face  this  defender  of  his  own  and 
other  birds'  eggs  and  young.  His  agility  on  the 
wing  is  unequaled ;  and  no  offender  may  hope 


140        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

to  dodge  his  fierce  thrusts  at  body,  head  and 
eyes. 

The  Kingbird  may  be  distinguished  from  the 
Arkansas  Kingbird  by  the  entire  absence  of  yel- 
low in  his  coloring,  and  by  his  darker  gray  back  ; 
his  wing-coverts,  outer  tail-feathers,  and  tip  of 
tail,  are  edged  or  bordered  with  pure  white  or 
grayish-white. 

THE  SAY'S  PHCEBE. 

.GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  light  brownish-gray. 
Under  parts  :  breast,  light  brownish-gray  ;  abdo- 
men, cinnamon. 
Length,  7.5  to  8  inches. 

In  the  East,  one  of  the  most  charming  of  do- 
mestic birds  is  a  member  of  the  Flycatcher  family 
known  as  the  "  Phoebe  Bird,"  which  in  the  spring 
seeks  for  its  nest  a  shelf  or  a  beam  around  the 
shed,  barn  or  piazza.  It  is  a  great  favorite  with 
children,  and  is  more  easily  seen  in  its  house- 
building than  the  nervous  and  secretive  little 
Wren. 

Fortunately,  in  some  places  at  least,  in  Oregon 
and  Washington,  a  species  of  this  bird  is  found, 
doing  the  same  thing  for  the  delight  of  the 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        141 

children  of  this  section  of  the  country.  It  is 
known  as  the  "  Say's  Phoebe."  It  looks,  in  a 
general  way,  like  the  rest  of  the  Flycatcher 
family.  It  wags  its  tail  vigorously,  while  utter- 
ing its  call-notes  which  indistinctly  resemble  the 
name  "  Phoebe."  Its  nest  is  sometimes  placed 
under  a  bridge. 

No  further  description  than  the  general  one  is 
needed.  The  bird  is  larger  than  any  Flycatcher 
in  our  section,  except  the  Kingbird.  The  Say's 
Phoebe  is  rare,  but  rarer  still  is  the  Western 
Black  Phoebe,  which  is,  however,  seen  in  some 
places  in  southern  Oregon,  and  may  be  mistaken 
for  the  one  first  named.  The  dark  slate-color  of 
its  plumage  on  account  of  which  the  name 
"  Black  "  is  given,  and  a  distinct  V-shaped  mark- 
ing underneath,  will  serve  to  identify  the  Black 
Phoebe. 


THE  LAZULI  BUNTING. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  azure-blue. 

Under  parts :  rufous  and  white. 

Length,  5.5  inches. 
Found  in  low  growths  of  deciduous  tre.es. 


142        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

If  it  is  a  question  of  beauty  of  coloring,  no 
other  bird  may  hope  to  surpass  to  human  eyes 
this  little  bit  of  heaven's  blue,  with  his  soft, 
tawny  breast  and  clear  white  underparts. 

He  comes  to  us  rather  late  in  May  from  the 
Southern  land,  where  he  spends  his  winters,  and 
may  occasionally  be  seen  about  suburban  houses 
and  orchards  before  he  has  found  his  nesting- 
place.  Once  seen,  he  will  always  be  recognized 
and  remembered. 

His  song  is  vivacious,  varied,  well  artic- 
ulated, and  sweet.  I  have  heard  one  say  over 
and  over,  "  Here !  here !  why-e,  don't  you  come 
here  ? " 

The  female  carries  no  such  wealth  of  color  as 
her  companion  and  cannot  answer  him  with  his 
free  song. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. — Male :  Head,  neck  and 
upper  parts,  turquoise,  or  azure-blue ;  the  back,  darker 
and  duller ;  distinct  white  wing-bar,  sometimes  a  second 
fainter  one ;  breast  (sometimes  sides),  tawny ;  abdomen, 
white. 

Female :  Duller  grayish-brown  on  back,  tinged  with 
bluish  on  rump  ;  breast,  pale  buff. 

Summer  resident. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        143 

THE  LOUISIANA,  OR  WESTERN,  TANAGER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Male :    Head  and  neck,  bright  red  ;  back,  wings 
and  tail,  black ;  rump  and  entire  lower  part, 
bright  yellow. 
Length,  7  inches. 

Found  about  evergreen  and  other  trees. 

Some  day  about  the  last  of  May,  when  we  are 
watching  an  Audubon's  Warbler  in  an  ever- 
green, or  perhaps  passing  a  group  of  these  trees, 
we  may  hear  a  song  like,  and  yet  not  like,  the 
Robin's.  If  at  first  it  seems  to  be  quite  the 
same,  a  little  closer  attention  will  reveal  a  more 
metallic  note,  and  a  song  more  regularly  and 
rapidly  repeated  than  that  of  our  more  familiar 
friend.  If  our  ears  direct  our  eyes,  we  shall  not 
look  long  before  the  author  of  this  song  will  ap- 
pear in  an  opening,  and  reveal  to  us  a  strik- 
ing plumage  of  red,  yellow  and  black,  and  a  new 
bird,  —  or  at  least  one  whose  general  and  par- 
ticular name  we  may  not  yet  have  learned.  This 
is  a  male  of  the  only  variety  of  the  Tanager 
family  upon  the  Pacific  coast  north  of  Mexico, 
and,  as  these  birds  are  always  in  pairs,  you  may 
expect  to  find  his  mate  near  at  hand. 

The   Louisiana  Tanager   received   his   name 


144        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

from  Lewis  and  Clarke  during  their  memorable 
expedition,  and  is  one  of  the  three  birds  made 
famous  by  their  discoveries ;  the  other  two, 
Clarke's  Crow  and  Lewis's  Woodpecker,  are 
noticed  elsewhere.  This  bird  is  found  over  a 
wide  extent  of  western  territory  and  received  the 
name  "  Louisiana  "  because  all  of  the  land  west 
of  the  Mississippi  River  to  the  Rocky  Moun- 
tains, and  from  the  Gulf  of  Mexico  to  British 
America,  purchased  from  France  in  1803  by  the 
United  States,  was  known,  at  that  time,  by  that 
name. 

The  Tanager  family  is  an  immense  and  bril- 
liant ly-plumaged  one.  America  (North  and 
South)  alone  has  three  hundred  and  fifty  varie- 
ties ;  but  all  the  varieties  except  the  one  here 
and  the  two  in  the  East,  live  in  the  tropics.  We 
must,  therefore,  make  the  best  of  our  only 
Tanager,  which  is,  however,  both  beautiful  and 
abundant. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male :  Upper  parts,  as 
in  general  description,  except  wings  are  crossed  with 
two  yellow  bars. 

Female :  Olive-greenish  above,  pale  yellow  below ; 
two  faint  wing-bars.  No  black  and  no  red  on  this  bird. 

Summer  resident  only. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         145 

THE  SAGE   THRASHER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION: 

Upper  parts  :  plain  brownish-gray. 

Under  parts  :    dull  white,  spotted  and  streaked 

with  dusky. 
Length,  9  inches. 

Found  in  sage-brush  of  eastern  Oregon  and  Washing- 
ton. 

People  in  the  region  of  the  sage-brush  in 
eastern  Oregon  and  Washington,  must  be  more 
or  less  familiar  with  the  bird,  very  common  there, 
and  altogether  worthy  of  an  intimate  acquaint- 
ance. The  bird  is  widely  distributed  over  the 
sage-brush  plains  of  western  North  America.  It 
nests  in  the  brush  and  in  service-berry  bushes, 
and  pours  forth  a  beautiful  song  that  befits  both 
his  kind  and  his  surroundings.  His  singing  is 
of  the  Mockingbird  order,  for  he  is  said  to  imi- 
tate not  only  other  birds,  but  almost  the  cries  of 
quadrupeds  and  the  voices  of  men.  He  some- 
times nests  upon  mountain  sides,  and  is  called 
the  "  Mountain  Mockingbird." 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Above,  brownish-gray ; 
wings,  edged  with  white,  and  two  white  wing-bars ;  tail, 
edged  with  white;  throat,  breast,  and  abdomen,  dull 


146        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

white,  with  buffy  tinge  on  flanks  and  under  tail-coverts ; 
whole  breast,  thickly  spotted  or  streaked  with  wedge- 
shaped  markings. 

Summer  resident. 


THE  GREAT  BLUE  HERON. 

DESCRIPTION  :  Bill,  long  and  sharp  ;  very  short  tail ; 
forehead  and  crown,  white ;  black  streaks  on  either  side 
of  crown,  running  back  they  join  down  the  neck ;  back 
and  wings,  blue-gray;  throat,  white;  breast,  black  and 
somewhat  mottled. 

Length,  45  inches. 

Found  in  marshes  and  along  rivers  and  by  lakes. 

I  cannot  do  better  than  to  transcribe  what 
Mr.  Frank  M.  Chapman  has  said  about  this 
splendid  bird  and  the  murderous  assault  upon 
him  by  hunters  : 

"The  presence  of  a  stately  Great  Blue  Heron 
or  '  Crane  '  adds  an  element  to  the  landscape 
which  no  work  of  man  can  equal.  Its  grace  of 
form  and  motion,  emphasized  by  its  large  size,  is 
a  constant  delight  to  the  eye ;  it  is  a  symbol  of 
the  wild  in  nature  ;  one  never  tires  of  watching 
it.  What  punishment,  then,  is  severe  enough 
for  the  man  who  robs  his  fellows  of  so  pure  a 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        147 

source  of  enjoyment  ?  A  rifle  ball  turns  this 
noble  creature  into  a  useless  mass  of  flesh  and 
feathers.  The  loss  is  irreparable.  Still,  we  have 
no  law  to  prevent  it.  Herons  are  said  to  devour 
large  numbers  of  small  fish.  But  is  not  the  la- 
borer worthy  of  his  hire  ?  Are  the  fish  more 
valuable  than  this,  one  of  the  grandest  of  birds  ? ' ' 

The  only  excuse  offered  on  this  coast,  for  this 
savage  destruction  of  a  noble  bird  is  that  he  acts 
as  a  game  sentinel.  He  gives  the  signal  to 
ducks,  when  the  hunter  is  approaching.  Sup- 
pose he  does  sometimes  do  this,  is  his  sagacity 
not  a  cause  for  the  greater  admiration  of  him  ? 
Let  this  magnificent  creature  adorn  our  water- 
ways and  add  to  the  beauty  of  our  evening  sky 
by  his  splendid  flight. 

A  permanent  resident. 


THE  AMERICAN  BITTERN,  OR  STAKE  DRIVER. 

Length,  24  to  34  inches. 

This  is  another  member  of  the  Heron  family, 
and  looks  like  his  kind,  with  long  legs  for  wading 
and  bill  shaped  for  fishing. 

Go  where  we  may  in  the  United  States,  this 


148        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

strange  bird  will  be  seen  and  heard.  "  Strange/1 
because  it  makes  so  loud,  peculiar,  and  command- 
ing, a  call.  It  may  be  heard  sometimes  three- 
quarters  of  a  mile,  giving  its  "  pumping  "  call, 
" pumper-lunk,  pumper-lunk,"  or  its  "stake-driv- 
ing" call,  "chunk,  chunk."  The  latter  often 
deceives  the  ear,  and  sounds  like  the  report  made 
by  the  head  of  an  axe,  when  struck  upon  a  stake 
that  is  being  driven  into  the  mud. 

Mr.  Charles  Conrad  Abbott,  however,  thinks 
"  no  sound  in  nature  is  so  hopelessly  beyond  de- 
scription." Mr.  Bradford  Torrey  has  been  for- 
tunate and  skillful  enough  to  see  these  birds  in 
the  act  of  making  the  noise.  He  reports  that  it 
is  done  with  violent  contortions  of  the  head  and 
neck. 

They  are  birds  of  the  marsh  and  the  shore, 
where  they  wade  in  the  mud  or  in  the  tide-made 
shallows. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Above,  mainly  yellow- 
ish, varied  not  a  little  with  mottling  of  reddish-brown  and 
black ;  wings,  slate-color,  tipped  with  reddish-brown  i 
lower  parts,  pale  buff,  striped  with  brown  ;  a  black  streak 
on  the  neck. 

Summer  resident. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        149 

THE  GREEN  HERON. 

Length,  15.5  to  22.5. 

This  is  the  smallest,  as  the  Great  Blue  Heron 
is  the  largest,  of  the  Heron  family.  Unlike  the 
latter,  however,  he  does  not  nest  in  flocks  but  in 
privacy ;  the  home  is  built  in  bushes,  or  upon 
limbs  of  trees,  overhanging  the  water,  and  is 
made  of  sticks,  as  is  usually  the  case  with  his 
kind.  The  Green  Heron  seems  to  prefer  the 
woods  to  marshes.  It  is  widely  distributed, 
being  found  everywhere  in  temperate  North 
America,  as  well  as  in  the  West  Indies  and  some 
parts  of  South  America.  Its  call  is  a  rather 
sweet  whistle.  Its  cry,  when  frightened,  is  a 
sort  of  quawk. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head,  glossy  green  on 
top  ;  rest  of  head  and  great  part  of  neck,  reddish-brown, 
"  rich  chestnut,  varying  in  tone  from  cinnamon  to  ma- 
roon" (Ridgway) ;  wings,  varying  from  slate-color  and 
greenish  in  the  scapulars,  "  with  whitish  shafts  to  bottle- 
green  in  the  wing-coverts,  bordered  with  whitish  or  buff ; 
lower  parts,  plain  grayish." 

Summer  resident. 


1 50        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

THE   CALIFORNIA  CUCKOO. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  plain  brown. 

Under  parts :  whitish  ;  tail,  tipped  with  the  same. 

Length,  10.5  inches. 

This  species  of  the  Cuckoo  is  rare  in  the  Wil- 
lamette Valley  and  about  lower  Puget  Sound, 
but  is  common  in  British  Columbia,  and,  no 
doubt,  is  to  be  found  in  parts  of  northern  Wash- 
ington. I  have  heard  it  on  the  Peninsula, 
Portland,  Oregon,  and  others  report  it  in  the 
neighborhood.  It  is  an  interesting  and  useful 
bird  and  should  be  recognized  and  cherished  for 
its  association  with  poetry.  (See  Wordsworth's 
"  Cuckoo.") 

Ordinarily,  the  American  Cuckoos  are  con- 
fused in  people's  minds  with  the  English  species 
of  the  bird,  as  having  the  latter's  base  habit  of 
depositing  its  eggs  in  other  birds'  nests  for  incu- 
bation and  giving  to  others  the  rearing  of  its 
young.  Our  Cuckoos  are  not  only  not  guilty  of 
that,  but  they  are  among  the  most  useful  of  our 
insect-eating  birds,  being  especially  destructive 
of  the  tent-caterpillar. 

No  detailed  description  of  the  bird  is  neces- 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        151 

sary,  but  one  should  notice  these  special  marks  : 
The  body  is  in  appearance  rather  long  and 
slender ;  the  bill,  long  and  curved ;  the  lower 
mandible  (i.  e.  the  lower  part  of  the  bill)  being 
yellow,  the  upper  part,  black ;  two  toes  are  di- 
rected forward  and  two  backward  (a  character- 
istic of  all  Cuckoos). 
Summer  resident. 


THE  WESTERN  NIGHTHAWK. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Mottled  gray,  with  wide  wings  ;  on  the  wing  high 
in  air,  toward  nightfall. 

Length,  10  inches. 
Found  everywhere  in  the  States. 

Some  of  us  associate  with  nightfall  in  our 
boyhood  two  sounds  from  the  sky  which  seemed 
mysterious,  and  one  of  them  sometimes,  perhaps, 
a  little  dreadful.  One  was  the  steadily  repeated 
nasal  "  Paent  "  (Chapman),  and  the  other  the 
occasional  sudden  booming  or  whirring  sound 
which  the  Nighthawk,  out  of  sight,  would  send 
down  to  our  ears.  We  may,  from  this  boyish 
experience,  understand  how  the  Indians  became 
superstitious  respecting  the  latter  sound,  and 


152        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

thought  it  was  "  the  Shad  Spirit  warning  the 
shoals  of  shad,  about  to  ascend  the  rivers  to 
spawn,  of  their  impending  fate." 

But  later  we  came  to  know  the  useful  and 
beautiful  bird  that,  in  its  splendid  free  flight  over 
country  and  city,  uttered  his  friendly  though 
somewhat  strident  note,  and  ever  and  anon- 
whether  for  sport,  or  for  an  insect,  who  can  tell  ? 
—  would  drop  head-foremost  from  a  great  height 
(sometimes  several  hundred  feet),  holding  wings 
and  tail  stiff  and  at  an  angle  that  would  produce 
the  booming  and  jarring  sound  referred  to. 
This  bird  has  many  names  in  the  East  —  the 
"Night  Jar,"  the  "Bull  Bat,"  the  "Mosquito 
Hawk,"  and  others. 

Man's  blindness  to  his  friends,  the  birds,  is 
again  illustrated  by  the  way  in  which  some  even 
now  regard  the  Nighthawk  as  an  enemy  to 
poultry. 

The  Nighthawk  is  unfortunately  named,  for 
he  is  not  a  Hawk  at  all ;  and,  strictly  speaking, 
he  never  flies  at  night,  but  usually  after  sunset 
and  near  nightfall,  and  sometimes  into  the  dusk. 
His  bill  and  claws  could  not  handle  meat.  He 
is  wholly  an  insectivorous  bird. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         153 

During  the  bright  parts  of  the  day,  he  sits 
upon  limbs  of  trees,  or  upon  the  roof  of  a  house, 
or  even  again,  in  the  country,  upon  a  rock,  quite 
motionless. 

Nighthawks  nest  upon  the  ground  in  rocky 
pastures  and  uplands. 

The  Western  Nighthawk  differs  from  the 
eastern  variety  in  being  a  little  lighter  in  color. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head,  broad ;  bill, 
small,  curved  and  pointed  ;  upper  parts,  mottled,  with 
light  grayish-buffy  or  yellow  markings  predominating  ; 
lower  parts,  —  throat,  white  ;  upper  breast,  narrow  bars 
of  buffy  and  black  alternating ;  lower  breast-bars,  wider. 

Summer  resident. 

THE  POORWILL. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts:  soft  brownish-gray,  mottled. 
Under  parts  :  somewhat  lighter  than  upper. 
Length,  7.25  to  8.5. 

The  Poorwill  is,  as  its  looks  indicate,  closely 
related  to  the  Nighthawk  and  it  is  the  western 
representative  of  the  eastern  Whip-poor-will.  It 
is  much  smaller  and  its  song  much  less  notice- 
able and  commanding.  The  eastern  bird  has 
almost  an  adult  human  voice  and  a  superior 


154        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

fascination.  But  our  smaller  bird  is  not  without 
its  own  charm,  and  may  suggest  the  voice  of  a 
child,  when  after  dark  and  in  the  night,  never 
by  day,  its  love-call  is  heard. 

The  bird  is  rare  in  the  Willamette  Valley  and 
around  Puget  Sound,  but  grows  more  common 
as  we  move  east,  till  across  the  Cascade  Moun- 
tains it  may  be  heard  any  fine  night  in  May  and 
June,  and  later.  Its  habits  are  not  so  well 
known  as  those  of  its  eastern  relatives.  But  it 
would  not  be  strange,  if  it  too,  when  its  nest  was 
disturbed  by  man,  should  safely  carry  off  either 
eggs  or  young  to  some  more  secluded  spot. 
This  bird  is  found  as  much  in  open  prairies  and 
in  barren  arid  land  of  the  interior,  as  in  woods. 
It  nests  in  high  altitudes,  where  there  is  frost 
every  night,  and  also  in  regions  of  tropical 
temperature.  It  makes  no  nest,  but  lays  two 
eggs  upon  the  bare  ground  or  upon  rocks. 

Captain  Charles  Bendire,  an  army  officer,  who 
has  contributed  more  than  any  one  hitherto,  to 
a  knowledge  of  the  birds  of  Oregon,  has  de- 
scribed the  love-call  of  the  Poorwill  as  "Puih- 
wee-ee,"  —  the  last  syllable  being  almost  in- 
audible. 


$ 

C/J 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         155 

The  bird  has  a  wide  range  upon  the  western 
side  of  our  continent,  being  found  from  the  Rio 
Grande  through  northern  Mexico,  New  Mexico, 
Arizona  and  all  of  the  North  Pacific  States. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  All  above,  soft  velvety 
mottled,  brownish-gray,  with  a  "  moth-like  "  (Ridgway), 
or  a  "  frost-like  "  (Keeler),  surface,  marked  with  spottings 
and  zigzags  of  black  ;  tail-feathers,  tipped  with  white, 
sometimes  with  buff;  throat,  strongly  marked  with  trans- 
verse patch  of  white ;  breast  and  abdomen,  barred  with 
buffy  ;  under  tail-coverts,  plain  buff . 

Summer  resident. 


THE   DOVE   FAMILY. 

There  are  two  members  of  this  family  found 
within  the  boundaries  prescribed  in  this  book,  the 
Mourning  Dove  and  the  Band-tailed  Pigeon. 

THE  MOURNING  DOVE,  OR  TURTLE  DOVE. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  except  head,  soft  olive-brownish. 
Under  parts  :  vinaceous  or  plum-color.     Long  tail. 
Length,  12.5  inches. 

Found  everywhere  in  farming  and  more  or  less  open 
country. 


156        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Everywhere,  in  temperate  North  America,  in 
the  summer  season,  we  may  see  and  hear  the 
bird,  which  is  truly  named  the  "  Mourning " 
Dove.  To  many,  the  cooing  is  too  sadly  sug- 
gestive to  be  agreeable ;  but  to  one  who  has 
learned  to  associate  this  sound  with  love-making, 
rather  than  with  lament,  it  is  one  of  the  sweet 
voices  of  Nature  and  could  not  well  be  spared. 
The  devotion  of  the  Dove  is  proverbial  and  is 
used  to  characterize  extraordinary  human  connu- 
bial love.  These  birds  are  loyal  lovers,  for  even 
when  the  nesting-season  is  over  they  do  not 
gather  in  flocks,  as  do  other  Pigeons,  but  are 
often  seen  in  pairs. 

With  respect  to  this  bird,  farmers  make  a 
mistake,  too.  Because  it  picks  up  wheat  upon 
the  surface  of  the  field  or  even  takes  some  (more 
or  less)  after  it  is  covered,  the  Dove  is,  in  some 
places,  looked  upon  as  an  enemy.  But  no  bird 
does  more  in  devouring  noxious  weed-seeds  than 
this  one.  An  examination  of  many  crops  of 
this  species  by  the  Agricultural  Department  at 
Washington  showed  the  contents  of  the  crop 
of  one  Dove  to  be  seven  thousand  mullein  seeds. 
When  it  is  known  that  a  Dove  fills  his  crop  sev- 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        157 

eral  times  each  day,  the  usefulness  of  this  bird 
may  be  imagined. 

The  Mourning  Dove  is  beautiful  withal,  and 
too  innocent  and  gentle  in  habit  to  make  the 
killing  of  it,  for  food,  a  sport. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  Forehead,  reddish-buff ; 
head,  greenish-blue ;  rest  of  upper  parts,  as  in  general 
description,  except  sides  of  neck,  iridescent,  with  black 
spot  underneath  each  ear ;  breast,  vinaceous ;  abdomen, 
buff ;  long  pointed  tail,  outer  feathers,  white. 

Summer  resident. 


THE  BAND-TAILED  PIGEON. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Male :    Upper  parts :   lead-color,    with   purplish 

tints  on  head  and  neck  ;  bluish  on  rump. 
Under  parts:    purplish,  varying  from  greenish- 
blue  to  bluish-green. 
Length,  16  inches. 

Found  in  the  oaks,  where  it  feeds  on  acorns,  and 
sometimes  about  farm  fields. 

The  Band-tailed  Pigeon  corresponds  to  the 
Wild  Pigecin  of  the  East,  so  famous  for  numbers 
before  ruthless  man  nearly  destroyed  it,  as  he 
has  entirely  destroyed  the  buffalo. 

Audubon   and    others   report  that  the  Wild 


158        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Pigeons  of  the  East  once  darkened  the  sky  for 
hours  in  their  flight,  and  broke,  with  their  weight, 
the  limbs  of  trees  upon  hundreds  of  acres  of 
forests.  The  bird  is  now  comparatively  rare. 
The  reason  for  this  fearful,  cruel,  and  wasteful 
destruction,  was  largely  the  habits  of  the  birds 
in  living  the  year  around  in  one  immense  colony, 
thus  falling  an  easy  prey  to  men  who  lived  by 
their  capture  and  death.  It  is  said  that  the 
Band-tailed  Pigeons  nest  in  something  like  small 
colonies,  remain  together  in  moderate-sized  flocks 
after  the  nesting-season,  are  sometimes  seen  in 
numbers  innumerable,  and  are  often  slaughtered 
by  the  score.  Let  the  people  of  the  Northwest 
have  a  care,  before  it  is  too  late. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  As  above,  in  general 
description ;  with  white  collar  on  back  of  neck ;  tail, 
square,  with  a  black  band  one-third  from  the  end. 

Summer  resident. 

VAUX'S   SWIFT. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

On  the  wing,  appears  to  be  black,  with  short  tail 
and  long  wings.     It  has  a  rapid  flight,  and  is 
to  be  seen  on  cloudy  days  and  near  nightfall. 
Length,  a  little  more  than  4  inches. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         1 59 

Found  flying  high  over  woods  or  houses,  and  nesting 
in  hollow  trees. 

No  one  will  ever  see  this  bird  except  on  the 
wing,  unless  he  handles  a  dead  one  or  sometimes 
does  as  Audubon  once  did  at  night,  that  is,  visit 
some  tree  which  has  been  prepared  for  investi- 
gation, and  with  a  light  look  up  to  the  crowded 
tenement  of  these  bat -like  creatures  above. 
Audubon  found,  by  count,  nine  thousand  of  the 
eastern  species  in  one  tree. 

The  eastern  variety  of  the  Swift  is  very  like 
Vaux's,  and  is  popularly  known  as  the  "  Chim- 
ney Swallow,"  because  there  these  birds  take 
possession  of  chimneys  unused  in  summer  time 
and  proceed  to  glue  their  nests  against  the  sides 
of  the  chimney  flues.  The  nests  are  made  of 
twigs  snapped  off  trees  while  the  birds  are  on 
the  wing.  In  the  fireplace-rooms  below,  the 
fluttering  and  twittering  of  these  happy  crea- 
tures can  often  be  heard. 

Though  called  Swallows,  they  are  very  unlike 
the  Swallow  in  every  respect,  except  that  they 
feed  in  the  air  and  have  weak  feet.-  They  can- 
not perch,  but  rest  and  sleep  hanging  on  the 
side  of  the  tree  or  chimney,  propped  by  the  stiff 


1 60        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

spines  at  the  end  of  their  tail-feathers,  using 
these  as  do  some  of  the  Woodpeckers  when  the 
latter  cling  to  a  tree-trunk.  The  stretch  of 
their  wings  is  something  amazing  compared  with 
their  length,  —  the  distance  from  tip  to  tip  being 
more  than  twelve  inches,  while  from  tip  of  bill 
to  end  of  tail-feathers,  when  stretched  out,  they 
measure  only  a  little  more  than  four  inches. 
This  extraordinary  wing  enables  them  to  per- 
form miracles  of  flight.  It  is  said  they  some- 
times cover  a  thousand  miles  in  twenty-four 
hours. 

The  Swift  on  the  wing  suggests  by  his  gen- 
eral appearance  the  bat.  As  he  flies,  he  utters 
a  single  note  rapidly. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  General  coloration, 
dusky-grayish ;  throat,  pale-grayish ;  rump  and  upper 
tail-coverts,  lighter  than  the  back. 

Summer  resident. 

THE  BLACK   SWIFT. 

This  Swift  is  darker  than  the  Vaux's,  and 
much  larger, —  its  length  being  seven  inches  and 
more.  It  is  a  bird  of  splendid  flight  and  lofty 
habitat.  Mr.  Anthony  states  that  it  nests  in 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         1 6 1 

crevices  of  the  highest  cliffs  in  high  mountains, 
and  is  sometimes  called  "  the  Cloud  Bird,"  on 
account  of  its  lofty  flight  and  dwelling-place. 

Its  form  is  different  from  that  of  the  Vaux's 
Swift.  The  spines  at  the  end  of  the  tail  do  not 
extend  beyond  the  web  of  the  feathers. 

Many  years  ago,  this  Swift  was  reported  as 
abundant  and  nesting  in  the  cliffs  along  the 
Klamath  River,  in  southern  Oregon,  or  northern 
California.  It  is  known  in  the  West  Indies,  and 
Mr.  J.  H.  Bowles  reports  it  on  Puget  Sound. 
Ridgway  gives  its  American  habitat  as  from  Colo- 
rado to  British  Columbia.  It  may  be  found 
here  and  there  throughout  our  section. 

DESCRIPTION. —  "  Uniform  dusky  or  blackish,  becom- 
ing more  sooty-grayish  on  head  and  neck ;  the  forehead, 
more  hoary." — Ridgway. 

Summer  resident. 


THE   WOODPECKERS. 

The  Woodpeckers  are,  perhaps  without  ex- 
ception, beautiful  birds,  and  fit  perfectly  their 
environment  in  the  woods.  They  often  save 
great  forests,  which  song-birds  do  not  live  in, 


1 62        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

from  oppressive  loneliness  by  their  tapping  upon 
some  tree  or  by  their  cheerful  call.  The  Flicker 
lives  near  human  habitations,  and,  as  we  have 
seen,  seeks  human  fellowship.  Some  other 
Woodpeckers  visit  the  more  open  country  and 
occasionally  excite  our  curiosity  by  their  less 
familiar  presence. 

Of  this  family  in  these  States,  there  are  five, 
besides  the  Flicker,  which  are  sufficiently  com- 
mon for  us  to  learn  to  recognize  them,  when 
we  come  upon  them  in  the  woods  or  when  they 
visit  us.  They  are  the  Harris's,  the  Gairdner's, 
the  Lewis's,  the  Pileated  and  the  Calif ornian. 

One  wishing  to  know  all  about  this  family  of 
birds,  should  read  the  recent  book  by  Fanny 
Hardy  Eckstrom,  "The  Woodpeckers."  No 
other  book  upon  the  subject  is  at  the  same  time 
so  thorough  and  so  entertaining. 


HARRIS'S   WOODPECKER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  black,  with  long  white  stripe  down 

the  back. 

Under  parts :  smoky-gray  or  light  smoky-brown. 
Length,  9  to  10  inches. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         163 

Found  in  edges  of  clearings,  burned  timber-patches, 
oak  trees  and  orchards. 

This  bird  and  the  next  one  described  are  re- 
latives of  eastern  Woodpeckers,  but  are  of  darker 
hue.  Harris's  Woodpecker  is  the  western  variety 
of  the  eastern  "Hairy"  Woodpecker,  and,  with 
the  Gairdner's,  may  often  be  seen  in  the  autumn 
in  the  dogwood  trees,  eating  the  berries.  He  is 
learning  to  visit  the  orchards  and  fruit  trees 
around  our  surburban  homes.  And  no  better 
friend  to  the  fruit-grower  can  be  imagined. 
Every  borer  and  all  eggs  and  larvae  which  are 
harmful  to  the  tree,  are  cleared  up  by  this  dili- 
gent and  systematic  bird,  as  he  moves  around  the 
trunk,  searching  every  crevice. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. — Head,  black,  with  scar- 
let patch  on  the  head  of  the  male ;  white  line  down  back 
and  rump  ;  sides  of  back,  black  ;  few  white  wing-spots ; 
tail,  black  in  center ;  outer  tail-feathers,  white ;  all  lower 
parts,  brownish-gray. 

Permanent  resident. 

GAIRDNER'S  WOODPECKER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Almost   the    same    as    the   Harris's,  only  much 

smaller ;  black  above  and  smoky-gray  below. 
Length,  6  to  7  inches. 


164        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Found  in  burned  timber-patches,  edges  of  woods  and 
orchards. 

The  Gairdner's  Woodpecker  looks,  in  general, 
like  a  small  edition  of  the  Harris's,  and  as  the 
Harris's  is  the  western  variety  of  the  "Hairy," 
the  Gairdner's  is  the  western  variety  of  the 
eastern  "  Downy,"  Woodpecker. 

Habits  almost  identical  with  the  Harris's 
Woodpecker.  He  is  of  the  same  service  in 
orchards. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head,  with  red  mark- 
ings for  male,  black  ;  back  and  tail,  black  ;  wide  white  line 
down  the  back  and  rump  ;  lower  parts,  more  smoky  than 
the  Harris's  and  more  white  spots  on  the  wings. 

Permanent  resident. 


LEWIS'S  WOODPECKER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper    parts :    lustrous    greenish-black,    except 

fore-part  of  head. 

Under  parts  :  below  upper  breast,  crimson. 
Length,  n  inches. 

Found  in  heavy  timber,  also  in  oak  trees.     An  occa- 
sional visitor  in  the  neighborhood  of  towns. 

This  is  the  famous  Woodpecker  of  the  west- 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         165 

ern  part  of  our  continent,  bearing  as  it  does  the 
name  of  the  distinguished  explorer,  Lewis,  of 
the  Lewis  and  Clarke  Expedition.  It  is  also 
greatly  distinguished  for  its  altogether  unique 
color.  No  other  Woodpecker  is  both  greenish- 
black  and  crimson.  Dr.  Elliott  Coues  says : 
"  No  other  species  of  our  country  shows  such  a 
metallic  iridescence,  or  such  intense  crimson, 
and  in  none  is  the  plumage  so  curiously  modified 
into  a  bristly  character." 

The  bird  looks  as  dark  as  a  Blackbird,  on  the 
wing.  Its  flight  is  more  like  that  of  birds  be- 
longing to  other  than  the  Woodpecker  family, 
being  direct  and  even,  not  undulating.  It  also, 
like  ordinary  birds,  alights  upon  boughs.  It 
taps  on  tree-trunks  infrequently.  In  the  forest 
it  lives,  feeds  and  nests  high  up  on  the  dead  top 
of  some  tree,  or  in  the  more  open  oak  wood. 
In  Oregon,  it  is  more  often  found  in  deciduous 
trees.  One  of  its  peculiarities  is  that  it  has  the 
habit  of  the  Flycatcher  family,  in  often  flying 
from  the  tree-top  to  catch,  on  the  wing,  some 
approaching  insect. 

This  bird,  formerly  altogether  of  the  deep 
woods,  is,  like  other  birds,  changing  his  habits 


1 66        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

with  the  advent  of  man,  and  is  not  infrequently 
seen  now  in  the  neighborhood  of  towns  and 
country  homes. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Fore-part  of  head,  in- 
cluding cheek,  crimson ;  collar,  back  of  neck,  gray  ;  back, 
wings,  tail  and  thighs,  metallic  greenish-black ;  upper 
breast,  like  collar,  gray ;  lower  breast  and  abdomen, 
crimson. 

Summer  resident. 


THE   NORTHERN  PILEATED  WOODPECKER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Body,  blackish  or  dusky-slate;  crest  (and  head 
in  male),  bright  red ;  white  patches  on  the 
wings. 

Length,  18  inches. 

Found  in  evergreen  forests  and  occasionally  in  other 
heavy  timber. 

All  over  North  America,  to  a  greater  or  less 
extent,  is  found  this  splendid  member  of  the 
Woodpecker  family.  In  some  parts  of  our  sec- 
tion, especially,  perhaps,  around  Puget  Sound,  he 
is  more  common  than  one  or  two  of  the  varieties 
already  described. 

The  bird  is  of  immense  size,  with  a  red  crest 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         167 

which  adds  to  his  striking  appearance.  His 
size  and  crest  will  immediately  distinguish  him 
from  all  the  other  members  of  his  family. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Body,  in  general, 
dusky-slate  ;  crest  and  head  in  male,  bright  red  ;  throat, 
white  ;  two  stripes  on  side  of  head,  and  one  on  side  of 
neck,  white ;  malar  (jaw)  stripe,  red  ;  wing-patches,  white 
—  show  most  white  when  flying. 

Female  :  Malar  stripe  and  head,  brownish-gray. 

Permanent  resident. 


THE  CALIFORNIAN  WOODPECKER. 

In  southern  Oregon,  this  member  of  the  large 
Woodpecker  family  is  not  uncommon,  though  it 
is  not  found  elsewhere  in  our  section,  except, 
here  and  there,  one  or  two  that  may  be  out  of 
the  ordinary  limits. 

DESCRIPTION.  —  Forehead,  white ;  top  of  head,  a 
crimson  patch,  smaller  on  female  ;  back,  generally  black 
with  bluish  lustre ;  rump,  white ;  upper  breast,  mostly 
glossy  black ;  lower  breast,  streaked  with  white ;  sides, 
streaked  with  black  ;  abdomen,  white.  Length,  9  inches. 

This  Woodpecker  is  related  to  the  Red-headed 
Woodpecker  of  the  Eastern  States. 
Partly  a  permanent  resident, 


1 68        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

RED-BREASTED  SAPSUCKER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Head,  neck  and  chest,  uniform  red,  or  with  white 
markings  and  black   chest-patch   showing  in- 
distinctly through  the  plumage.     (Ridgway.) 
Length,  8.5  inches. 

Found  in  maple,  dogwood  and  orchard  trees. 

A  pity  it  is  that,  after  a  thorough  scientific 
investigation  of  its  habits,  this  beautiful  bird 
must  be  condemned.  For  a  long  time,  it  was 
supposed  that  sap-sucking  was  injurious  to  trees, 
and  the  bird  was  condemned  on  account  of  the 
habit  his  name  indicates.  Meanwhile,  there 
were  those  who  denied  the  fact  and  affirmed  that 
the  bird  was  wrongly  named.  At  the  present 
time,  however,  there  is  little  doubt  that  this 
species  of  Woodpecker  is  truly  a  sap-sucker,  but 
perhaps  not  to  any  great  extent.  If  he  were,  it 
would  not  now  be  on  this  account  that  he  would 
be  pronounced  an  enemy,  because  taking  sap  in 
large  quantities,  as  is  done  in  making  maple 
sugar,  does  not  injure  the  trees.  But  the  harm 
which  the  bird  does  is  twofold :  First,  he  cuts 
into  and  eats  the  inner  bark  of  trees,  and,  sec- 
ondly, in  making  holes  for  sap,  he  does  it  in 
regular  order  to-day,  and  if  later  he  drills  new 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         1 69 

holes,  he  does  it  with  reference  to  the  last  work 
done  by  his  kind,  and  by  degrees  destroys  the 
channels  through  which  the  life  substance  of  the 
tree  flows.  He  may  gradually  girdle  a  tree, 
always  making  holes  near  together  in  a  straight 
line,  and  then,  perhaps,  girdle  it  again.  Each 
time  that  a  hole  is  made,  the  healed  wound 
marks  an  obstructed  passage  for  the  sap. 

If  the  fruit-grower  must  protect  himself  against 
the  Sapsucker,  it  is  of  the  greatest  importance 
that  he  should  be  able  to  distinguish  the  only 
Sapsucker  that  we  have  in  this  section  from  those 
Woodpeckers  which  are,  as  has  been  pointed  out, 
indispensable  to  the  health  of  the  orchards.  The 
red  head  and  breast  with  the  yellow  underneath, 
will  give  us  the  infallible  marks  of  this  enemy  of 
orchards.  All  of  the  Sapsucker  varieties  have 
yellow  underneath. 

Permanent  resident. 


THE   SIERRA  CREEPER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  brown,  rusty,  and  white. 
Under  parts :  white. 
Length,  5  inches. 


1 70        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Found  in  forests,  and  sometimes  in  the  open  upon 
tree- trunks. 

There  is  only  one  family  of  the  Creeper  in  our 
western  hemisphere.  Upon  the  Pacific,  we  have 
a  species  not  unlike  the  one  common  upon  the 
Atlantic  coast.  Ours  is  a  little  darker  in  its 
plumage.  The  bird  is  unmistakable  in  its  ap- 
pearance, with  its  long,  curved  bill,  and  a  broad 
white  line  over  the  eye.  Its  name,  "  Creeper," 
exactly  describes  its  whole  make-up  and  move- 
ment. 

No  more  particular  description  is  needed. 

Summer  resident. 


THE  BELTED  KINGFISHER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  bluish-gray. 

Under  parts:   white,  with   a  bluish-gray  breast- 
band. 

Length,  13  inches. 

Found  along  rivers  and  creeks,  and  upon  the  shores 
of  lakes  and  ponds. 

No  more  beautiful  bird  in  color  lives  by  our 
streams  and  shores  than  the  Kingfisher.  His 
form  seems  a  little  dwarfish,  with  his  big  head 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         171 

and  short  legs,  but  he  has  a  noble,  fine  flight, 
and  great  swiftness  and  skill  in  his  fishing,  which 
saves  him  from  the  charge  of  being  awkward. 
His  running,  rattling,  and  somewhat  hard  cry, 
as  he  takes  his  flight,  all  must  know,  who  know 
the  bird  at  all. 

We  need  to  admire  him  more  on  account  of 
his  splendid  color,  and  to  know  him  better  on 
account  of  his  habits.  We  should  watch  him 
as  he  catches,  and  see  with  what  great  difficulty 
he  sometimes  swallows,  his  fish.  We  must 
swear,  too,  that  we  will  protect  him  against  the 
monopoly  assumed  by  man  of  the  fishes  in  our 
streams.  The  Kingfisher  was  by  these  rivers 
before  man  arrived.  And  he  has  his  inalienable 
and  divine  rights,  even  if  he  makes  serious  havoc 
with  the  fish  in  the  rivers.  But  the  Kingfishers 
are  not  numerous  enough  or  voracious  enough 
to  rob  man  of  his  privilege,  even  if  they  do 
maintain  their  right  to  eat  their  only  natural 
food.  These  birds  make  their  nests  in  river- 
banks,  as  does  the  Bank  Swallow. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male :  Head,  large 
and  crested  ;  bill,  long  and  strong ;  white  spot  in  front  of 
eye  ;  chin,  throat  and  band  around  neck,  white  ;  back, 


172        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

wings    and    tail,    gray-blue ;   a  bluish    band    across    the 
chest. 

Female :  Rufous  on  breast  and  on  sides. 

Permanent  resident. 

AMERICAN  DIPPER  OR  "WATER  OUZEL." 

DESCRIPTION.  —  Bill,  long  and  slender ;  tail,  very 
short ;  head  and  neck,  brownish-gray ;  back,  wings  and. 
tail,  slaty  ;  lower  parts,  whitish.  In  winter,  the  plumage 
is  mottled,  the  feathers  edged  with  white. 

Length,  8  inches. 

Found  by  mountain  streams  and  waterfalls. 

Bird-lovers,  in  coming  to  the  western  side  of 
the  continent,  count  as  one  of  their  privileges 
the  seeing  of  the  "Water  Ouzel/'  It  is  truly  a 
"  queer  "  bird,  and  if  one  did  not  know  its  habits 
and  should  some  day  see  him  plunge  into  a  swift 
mountain-stream  and  disappear,  he  might  sup- 
pose he  had  witnessed  a  case  of  desperate  bird- 
suicide.  But  did  he  know  this  odd  creature's 
ways,  he  would  look  for  it  to  come  up  and  land 
upon  a  rock  at  some  point  quite  well  below  its 
place  of  plunge.  The  fact  is,  our  "  Water 
Ouzel "  does  this  sometimes  for  mere  sport,  and 
sometimes  to  gather  food  upon  the  bottom.  It 
would  not  be  so  queer  —  indeed  it  would  be  quite 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         173 

natural  —  if  he  were  a  species  of  duck  with  web- 
feet,  but  he  more  resembles  the  Snipe.  He  is 
a  bird  of  the  rushing  current  and  the  dashing 
cascade.  Behind  the  latter,  in  a  large  oven- 
shaped  nest,  the  eggs  are  laid  and  the  young 
reared  in  the  sound  of  their  home  element  and 
while  breathing  the  spray. 

We  all  ought  to  know  the  thrice  fascinating 
ways  of  this  bird,  which  belongs  exclusively  to 
our  side  of  the  continent. 

Permanent  resident. 

THE  CROW. 

Length,  18  inches. 
Found  everywhere. 

Everybody  knows  the  Crow,  and  he  needs  no 
description. 

No  bird  that  flies  is  more  sagacious,  and  on 
occasion  "  witty  "  in  the  older  sense  of  the  term. 
He  knows  how  to  take  advantage  of  every 
opportunity  for  his  own  profit,  without  the  risk 
of  gun  or  trap.  He  can  count  at  least  three,  so 
that  the  third  gunner  may  not  hope  that  this 
wary  bird  will  approach  his  hiding-place  because 
two  of  the  sporting  party  have  gone  away.  An 


1 74        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

observing  farmer's  boy  in  Oregon  relates  how 
quickly  the  Crows  discovered  that  a  dog  follow- 
ing the  plow  would  kill  and  bury  field-mice. 
The  knowing  birds  would  proceed  at  once  to  dig 
up  these  bits  for  their  own  hungry  stomachs. 

It  is  hard  to  decide  just  what  to  do  with  the 
Crow.  He  is  not  only  extremely  interesting  on 
account  of  his  sagacity,  but  he  is  also  a  beauti- 
ful bird,  with  his  black  iridescent  plumage  and 
clean,  strong  body  and  bearing,  and  his  "  Caw, 
caw/'  on  a  winter's  day  has  a  charm  for  the 
Nature  or  bird-lover.  He  is  even  more  than 
this.  He  is  one  of  the  best  friends  of  the  far- 
mer in  destroying  mice,  also  beetles  and  other 
injurious  insects.  If  it  were  only  the  temporary 
harm  that  he  does  to  crops  and  young  chickens, 
he  would  have  so  large  a  balance  to  his  credit 
that  no  intelligent  agriculturist  could  afford  to 
destroy  him.  But  his  great,  and  perhaps  his  un- 
pardonable, sin  is  that  he  destroys  so  many  eggs 
and  young  of  the  smaller  song  and  insectivorous 
birds  that,  if  his  tribe  is  numerous  in  any  locality, 
a  considerable  reduction  of  it  is  undoubtedly  ne- 
cessary. But  in  all  of  this  family  who  live  in 
spite  of  us,  or  by  our  consent,  let  us  keep  ever 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         175 

an  intelligent  interest,  and  mingle  our  admira- 
tion with  our  reprobation. 

These  States  have  two  varieties  of  the  Crow, 
the  American,  common  to  the  East  and  the 
West ;  and  the  Northwest,  peculiar  to  this  terri- 
tory. The  Northwest  Crow  is  somewhat  smaller 
than  the  American  Crow,  and  more  uniform  in 
size  —  length,  sixteen  to  seventeen  inches  - 
while  its  plumage  is  less  glossy.  The  American 
measures  from  seventeen  to  twenty-one  inches. 
The  Northwest  Crow  is  found  almost  exclusively 
upon  the  sea-shore  and  in  its  habits  is  a  good 
deal  like  the  Fish  Crow  of  the  East. 

The  Crow  nests  high,  in  a  rude  nest  made  of 
sticks,  with  little  of  comfort  for  her  young. 

Permanent  resident. 

THE  AMERICAN  RAVEN. 

The  Raven  has  been  made  forever  famous, 
and  will  always  be  associated  with  the  weird, 
through  Poe's  great  poem.  No  one  can  under- 
stand the  poem  and  how  the  Raven  came  to  be 
associated  with  melancholy  and  despair,  till  he 
has  heard  the  ordinary  cry  of  this  secluded 
bird.  In  the  mountains  of  eastern  Tennessee,  I 


176         Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

heard  an  inexpressibly  sad  cry  above  the  forest 
trees,  and  when  told  its  source,  I  understood 
both  the  meaning  of  Poe's  "  Raven"  and  how, 
thereafter,  to  read  the  "  Nevermore  "  at  the  end 
of  each  verse. 

The  bird  is  common  in  some  parts  of  Oregon, 
very  abundant  in  British  Columbia,  and  would 
naturally  be  found  in  Washington.  He  has 
bluish-black  plumage,  and  looks  like  a  crow,  but 
is  much  larger.  He  is  shy,  but,  under  excep- 
tional conditions,  has  become  quite  wonted  about 
a  human  dwelling  (see  Captain  Bendire's  expe- 
rience at  Fort  Klamath,  Oregon);  however,  he 
always  nests  in  high  and  quite  inaccessible 
regions. 

No  further  description  is  necessary. 

Permanent  resident. 


STELLER'S  JAY. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

A  crested  bird.     Fore-part  of  body,  dark,  black, 

or  brownish-black,  the  rear  part,  bluish. 
Length,  12.5  inches. 

Found  in  evergreen  timber  and  in  all  sorts  of  trees 
and  bushes  about  the  timber. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         177 

Almost  every  one  knows  this  noisy  and,  in 
the  western  section  of  our  States,  this  every- 
where-present Jay.  He  is  fine  looking  and  also 
interesting  in  spite  of  his  meddlesome,  maraud- 
ing, and,  we  must  own,  cowardly  habits.  We 
could  not  afford  to  exterminate  him.  He  would 
be  a  distinct  loss  to  our  bird-family,  but,  like  the 
crow,  although  with  less  courage,  he  will  steal 
birds'  eggs  and  will  take  the  young,  whenever 
he  can  do  it  without  bringing  upon  himself  an 
attack  from  the  outraged  bird-community  upon 
which  he  is  preying. 

While  not  blaming  him  for  acting  out  his  na- 
ture, for  which  he  is  not  responsible,  we  must 
regretfully,  and,  as  painlessly  as  possible,  pre- 
vent his  becoming  too  abundant.  His  crest  and 
color  will  make  a  particular  description  of  him 
unnecessary. 

Permanent  resident. 

THE  CALIFORNIA  JAY. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  head,  wings  and  tail,  blue.     Mid- 
dle of  back,  grayish-brown. 
Under  parts  ;  whitish,  bordered  with  bluish. 
Length,  12  inches. 


1 78        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Found  in  deciduous  trees. 

The  California  Jay  is  very  common  in  the 
State  whose  name  it  bears,  and  is  also  more  or 
less  common  here.  The  bird  is  found  in  com- 
panies, as  is  the  Steller's  Jay,  also  here  and 
there,  singly  or  in  pairs. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  As  in  general  descrip- 
tion, with  this  added  —  a  white  line  over  the  eye. 

Permanent  resident. 


THE  GRAY  JAY,    "TALLOW  BIRD,"   OR 
"WHISKY  JACK." 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  grayish-brown. 

Under   parts :    white   or   grayish-white,    with    a 

whitish  collar. 
Length,  1 1  inches. 

Found  generally  around  mountains,  but  sometimes  in 
the  timber  on  lower  ground. 

Every  one  who  has  camped  in  the  timber 
about  the  mountains  of  Oregon  and  Washington 
knows  the  "Tallow  Bird,"  or  "Whisky  Jack." 
He  takes  at  once  to  human  society ;  from  the 
first  will  share  man's  table  with  him,  and  unless 
shut  out  will  make  havoc  of  the  larder.  These 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        1 79 

birds  are  sociable  among  themselves,  as  well  as 
with  human  beings. 

The  Gray  Jay  is  the  western  representative  of 
the  Canada  Jay  of  the  East. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Forehead  and  nasal 
tufts,  white,  sometimes  brownish  ;  sooty-black  hood,  bor- 
dered on  the  back  with  a  whitish  collar ;  back,  wings 
and  tail,  bluish-gray  with  white  streak  in  back  ;  below, 
white,  turning  to  dusky  in  the  abdomen. 

Permanent  resident. 


CLARKE'S  NUTCRACKER,  OR  "CLARKE'S  CROW." 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION: 

Upper  part :  gray  ;  wings,  broken  by  a  large  white 

patch. 

Under  parts :  gray. 
Length,  13  inches. 

Found  in  and  about  mountains,  mostly  in  the  eastern 
part  of  this  section. 

"  Clarke's  Crow,"  sometimes  called  the  "  Ore- 
gon Crow,"  is  one  of  the  striking  and  famous 
birds  of  the  northwest. 

As  stated  elsewhere,  he  is  one  of  the  three 
birds  discovered  by  the  historic  explorers,  Lewis 
and  Clarke,  and  is  named  after  the  latter. 


1 80        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

He  is  called  a  Crow,  and  yet  in  his  noisy  habit 
he  seems  more  like  a  Jay. 

Any  one  who  visits  the  mountains  will  make 
the  acquaintance  of  this  interesting  bird,  always 
to  be  found  in  large  flocks.  Mr.  Anthony  re- 
lates that  about  the  Sierras  in  California, 
Clarke's  Nutcracker  and  the  Pinon  Jay  are  to 
be  found  in  flocks  of  thousands  each.  Both  of 
these  are  not  only  social  among  themselves,  but 
they  are  easily  induced  to  familiar  intercourse 
with  men  who  camp  in  the  woods  where  they 
dwell. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Bill,  long  and  slender ; 
head,  white  on  fore-part,  gray  on  the  rest,  and  on  the 
back,  breast,  sides  and  abdomen ;  wings,  glossy  black, 
with  large  white  patch  ;  tail,  white  except  two  middle 
feathers,  which  are  black. 

Permanent  resident. 


THE  PlSfON  JAY. 

This  bird  is  also  a  resident  of  the  mountainous 
parts  of  our  States  and  has  the  general  habits  of 
the  Nutcracker. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        1 8 1 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Bill,  long  and  sharp ; 
body,  grayish-blue,  becoming  blue  on  head  and  wings ; 
tail  and  sides,  more  blue  than  black  ;  throat,  bright  blue, 
streaked  with  whitish. 

Length,  u  inches. 


THE  AMERICAN  MAGPIE. 

This  singular  bird  is  not  to  be  seen,  ordinar- 
ily, near  human  dwellings,  as  is  the  English 
bird  of  the  same  name,  When  found  in  small 
flocks  in  the  western  part  of  these  States,  he 
is  more  shy,  but  in  the  eastern  part,  where 
he  is  abundant  in  places,  he  is  not  afraid  of 
man. 

DESCRIPTION. —  Head,  back  and  breast,  smoky-black ; 
shoulders  and  abdomen,  white ;  wings  and  tail,  iri- 
descent-purple ;  tail,  long  and  tapering ;  bill,  black. 
Length,  18  inches. 

In  California,  in  the  interior  valleys  of  the 
State,  a  Yellow-billed  Magpie  is  found.  It  is 
very  nearly  the  same  in  appearance  as  the  one 
above  described,  with  the  exception  of  its  bill. 
It  is  possible  that  a  few  of  these  may  be  seen 
in  southern  Oregon. 

Permanent  resident. 


1 82        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

HAWKS   AND   OWLS. 

There  are  two  species  of  birds  that  are  vic- 
tims of  prejudice  and  indiscriminating  ignorance. 
They  have  been  treated  like  snakes,  and  have 
been  killed  at  sight  by  nearly  everybody  who 
could  use  a  gun.  They  are  the  Hawks  and  the 
Owls. 

In  respect  of  these,  as  of  some  of  the  other 
birds  described  in  this  book,  their  enemy,  man, 
has  reaped  the  fruit  of  his  own  ignorance  and 
folly  in  two  important  regards ;  he  has  done 
what  he  could  to  destroy  objects  of  great  beauty 
and  interest,  and,  secondly,  he  has  killed  off 
some  of  the  greatest  benefactors  to  the  agricul- 
tural interests  of  the  country.  The  food  supply 
of  nearly  all  our  Hawks  and  Owls  consists  of 
mice,  insects  and  reptiles,  and  not  of  chickens, 
or  even  of  birds.  In  the  East,  only  two  of  the 
common  varieties  of  Hawks  live  upon  birds  and 
poultry.  Dr.  Fisher  of  the  Agricultural  Depart- 
ment at  Washington  has  examined  hundreds  of 
stomachs  of  Hawks  and  Owls,  with  results  like 
the  following :  Of  the  220  stomachs  of  the  Red- 
shouldered  Hawk  of  the  East,  which  is  usually 
called  the  "  Chicken "  or  "  Hen-Hawk,"  only 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        183 

three  contained  the  remains  of  poultry.  Of  the 
rest,  twelve  contained  the  remains  of  birds  ;  102, 
mice ;  40,  other  mammals ;  20,  reptiles ;  39, 
frogs;  92,  insects;  16,  spiders,  etc. 

So,  on  this  northwestern  coast  of  the  conti- 
nent, of  the  very  common  Hawks  only  one  — 
the  Sharp-shinned  —  is  always  an  enemy  of  birds 
and  poultry.  Cooper's  Hawk,  the  other  bird  of 
the  same  habit,  is  not  so  common.  The  rest 
which  will  be  described  are  comparatively  harm- 
less, and  all  are  of  great  service.  A  good  rule 
for  us  to  follow,  if  we  cannot  tell  the  kind  of 
Hawk  at  sight,  is  not  to  kill  a  Hawk  till  we  see 
him  attacking  the  poultry-yard. 

And  as  for  the  Owls,  they  also  are  compara- 
tively harmless.  The  farmers  of  Pennsylvania 
had,  in  the  following  way,  a  demonstration  of 
their  folly  in  the  destruction  of  Hawks  and 
Owls.  Supposing  that  these  birds  fed  princi- 
pally or  altogether  upon  poultry,  they  secured 
from  the  legislature  a  law  setting  a  price  upon 
every  Hawk  and  Owl  killed  in  the  State.  After 
a  few  years  the  farms,  at  least  in  certain  sec- 
tions of  the  State,  became  so  infested  with  mice 
that  the  yearly  loss  in  grain  was  sufficient  to 


184         Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

alarm  the  growers.  It  was  then  that  a  wise 
man,  who  knew  the  relations  between  mice  and 
Hawks  and  Owls,  gave  the  fact  to  the  farmers. 
It  resulted  in  the  repeal  of  the  law ;  and  with 
the  increase  in  these  hitherto  blindly  feared 
birds,  the  mice  scourge  disappeared. 

Dr.  E.  Hart  Merriam,  Ornithologist  and 
Mammalogist  of  the  United  States  Department 
of  Agriculture,  has  estimated  that  Pennsylva- 
nia lost  by  this  folly  four  and  a  half  millions  of 
dollars  in  one  year  and  a  half. 

Oregon  and  Washington  have  quite  a  num- 
ber of  the  varieties  of  the  Hawk. 

But  these  are  unequally  distributed,  for  while 
some  are  common  in  one  place,  they  are  rare  in 
another.  Only  a  part  of  those  found  within  our 
States  are  described  below.  They  are  the 
Sharp-shinned,  Cooper's,  Western  Red-tailed, 
Swainson's,  American  Rough-legged  and  Ferru- 
ginous Rough-legged  Hawks,  the  Pigeon-Hawk, 
Black  Merlin,  and  Desert  Sparrow-Hawk. 

THE  SHARP-SHINNED  HAWK. 

Rather  small ;  length,  n  to  14  inches. 

This  is  one  of  the  two  Hawks  which  prefer 


Western  Evening  Grosbeak. 


(See  page  47.) 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        185 

birds  and  broilers  to  mice,  grasshoppers,  or 
snakes.  He  is  too  small  ever  to  touch  hens. 
It  is  difficult  for  one  who  has  not  observed  birds 
to  distinguish  the  Sharp-shinned  from  the  Pigeon- 
Hawk,  or  even  from  the  Sparrow-Hawk.  There 
is,  however,  a  characteristic  common  to  both  this 
Hawk  and  Cooper's  Hawk,  by  which  one  may 
become  at  first  suspicious  and  watchful — each 
has  a  slender  form,  being  long  in  proportion  to 
size  of  body. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male :  Upper  parts, 
bluish-gray ;  top  of  head,  darker;  tail,  crossed  by  several 
blackish  bands,  narrowly  tipped  with  white.  Lower 
parts,  pure  white,  crossed  with  light  rufous  bars  and 
spots. 

Female :  Colors  duller.      Lower  parts,  not  pure  white. 

Permanent  resident. 


COOPER'S  HAWK. 

Larger  bird  than  Sharp-shinned;  length,  14  to  17 
inches. 

This  is  the  other  poultry  and  bird  Hawk. 

DESCRIPTION.  —  Distinguished  in  color  by  having  top 
of  head  black ;  sides  of  head,  more  or  less  washed  with 
bluish-gray ;  sides  of  breast,  bluish-gray  also.  The  tail 


1 86        Birds  of  ^Oregon  and  Washington 

of  this  bird  is  very  rounded,  —  a  clear   distinguishing 
mark. 

Permanent  resident. 


THE  WESTERN  RED-TAILED  HAWK. 

A  large  Hawk ;  length,  21  to  24  inches. 

This  bird  is  one  of  the  most  valuable  allies  of 
the  farmer.  In  some  places  he  may  occasionally 
get  a  taste  of  poultry  ;  but  do  not  kill  him  till  he 
ventures  into  the  poultry-yard.  He  will  probably 
not  trouble  you. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Varying  from  "  uni- 
form dark,  sooty-brown,  through  every  conceivable  inter- 
mediate plumage."  (Ridgway.)  "Above,  grayish-brown 
or  blackish-brown  mottled  with  rusty ;  below,  varying 
from  white  or  buff,  more  or  less  streaked  with  brown 
dusky  markings,  to  dark  blackish-brown.  The  distinc- 
tive mark  is  the  bright  reddish-brown  tail,  edged  with 
buff  or  whitish,  and  with  one  or  more  blackish  bars." 
(Keeler.) 

Permanent  resident. 

SWAINSON'S  HAWK. 

Rather  large  Hawk ;  length,  20  to  22  inches. 
DESCRIPTION.  —  Uniform  grayish-brown  above  ;  fore- 
head and  throat,  white  ;  patch  of  rufous  on  the  breast  of 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         187 

the  male,  and  of  grayish-brown  upon  the  breast  of  the 
female. 

But  this  Hawk  inclines  to  melanism,  as  it  is 
called  in  ornithology  —  that  is,  to  a  decidedly 
dark  coloring.  Specimens  of  both  sexes  are 
found  of  a  uniform  sooty-brown.  The  upper 
tail-coverts  are  barred  with  white.  This  Hawk 
must  not  be  confused  with  the  Marsh-Hawk, 
which  can  be  recognized  even  at  a  great  dis- 
tance by  a  conspicuous  white  rump.  The  white 
forehead  marks  the  Swainson's  Hawk. 

Probably  altogether  harmless  in  respect  to 
poultry.  Its  principal  food  in  the  proper  season 
is  grasshoppers. 

THE  AMERICAN  ROUGH-LEGGED  HAWK. 

Length,  22  inches. 

In  eastern  Oregon,  and  no  doubt  in  eastern 
Washington  as  well,  two  Hawks  are  numerous 
which  are  rare  in  the  western  parts  of  our  States. 
They  have  a  common  and  distinguishing  mark, 
indicated  in  their  name,  "Rough-legged";  that 
is,  the  feathers  extend  down  the  leg,  nearly  to  the 
ends  of  the  toes  of  the  front  part  of  the  foot. 
The  American  Rough-legged  Hawk  is  so  vari- 


1 88        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

able  in  coloration,  that  it  is  difficult  to  distinguish 
him  from  some  large  smooth-legged  Hawks  in 
any  other  way  than  by  noticing  the  legs  and 
feet. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  In  light  plumage, 
head  and  neck,  whitish,  more  or  less  streaked  with  dark ; 
back,  varying  from  gray  to  brown ;  upper  tail-coverts 
and  base  of  tail,  white,  streaked  with  brown ;  under 
parts,  white,  streaked  with  dusky ;  abdomen,  sometimes 
brown.  From  this,  plumage  it  varies  to  darker,  some- 
times becoming  almost  black. 

Summer  resident. 


THE  FERRUGINOUS  ROUGH-LEGGED  HAWK. 

Length,  22  inches. 

This  Hawk  may  be  distinguished  from  the  pre- 
ceding one  by  noting  that  its  name,  "  Ferrugi- 
nous," refers  to  its  reddish  coat,  a  color  suggested 
by  iron  rust,  though  sometimes  this  bird,  too,  is  of 
dark  plumage,  almost  of  a  chocolate  shade,  but 
varied  with  reddish-brown.  He  is  a  fine,  striking 
specimen  of  the  Hawk  family,  and  with  his  rela- 
tive, the  American  Rough-legged  Hawk,  should 
not  be  killed  unless  actually  found  making  depre- 
dation upon  poultry. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         189 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. — Upper  parts  and  thighs, 
rusty-red,  the  former  streaked,  and  the  latter  barred,  by 
dusky ;  secondaries  and  primaries  on  wings,  lead-color ; 
tail,  white,  varied  with  gray  and  rusty ;  lower  parts, 
white,  sometimes  slightly  streaked  with  dusky,  especially 
upon  abdomen.  When  the  plumage  is  melanistic  (dark), 
it  is  still  more  or  less  barred  with  rusty. 

Summer  resident. 


THE  PIGEON-HAWK. 

Another  small  Hawk  ;  length,  10  to  n  inches. 

It  can  be  easily  distinguished  from  the  Desert 
Sparrow-Hawk  by  noticing  that  the  prevailing 
color  in  the  upper  parts  is  bluish-gray  and  not 
brown  or  reddish-brown. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male  :  Head  and  back, 
bluish-gray,  marked  with  fine  black  lines ;  tail,  slaty,  with 
three  broad  bands  of  black,  and  white  tip ;  under  parts, 
white,  somewhat  buffy  on  breast  and  streaked  with  dark 
brown  lines. 


THE  BLACK  MERLIN. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  plain  blackish-brown. 

Under  parts :  very  heavily  marked  with  dusky. 

Length,  12  to  14  inches. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

This  is  a  small  Hawk,  not  uncommon  in  some 
parts  of  the  Willamette  Valley,  and  is  un- 
doubtedly found  in  greater  or  less  numbers  else- 
where in  these  States.  It  can  be  recognized  by 
the  combination  of  size  and  color.  All  other 
Hawks  of  dark  color  are  larger. 

Summer  resident. 


THE  DESERT   SPARROW-HAWK. 

Small  size  ;  length,  9  to  1 1  inches. 

The  Sparrow-Hawk  is  scarcely  a  Sparrow- 
Hawk  or  bird  Hawk  at  all,  so  far  as  his  habits 
are  concerned,  and  Dr.  Fisher  reports  that,  after 
examining  320  stomachs  of  this  bird,  he  found 
no  poultry.  Mice  and  grasshoppers  were  found 
to  be  the  principal  food. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Top  of  head,  bluish  ; 
crown,  with  or  without  rufous  patch ;  black  "  mus- 
taches "  on  sides  of  cheek,  always  conspicuous  ;  back, 
brown  (reddish-brown  in  female),  barred  with  black ; 
tail,  reddish-brown,  white  tip ;  wings,  bluish-gray,  usually 
spotted  with  black  ;  under  parts,  white  to  varying  shades 
of  buff  and  rufous  with  black  spots. 

More  or  less  migratory  in  winter. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         191 


THE  AMERICAN  OSPREY,  OR  FISH-HAWK. 

The  Osprey  is  seen  on  both  sides  of  the  con- 
tinent. On  the  Atlantic  coast,  especially  in  New 
England  and  upon  Long  Island,  it  has  been  the 
one  bird  which  the  fisherman  and  farmers  have 
singularly  respected  and  guarded.  In  my  own 
boyhood,  a  pair  nested  in  a  grove  of  large  oaks 
back  of  my  home  on  an  island  not  far  from  New 
York  City.  It  was  believed  that  the  same  pair 
had  been  there  for  two  generations  or  more. 
Whether  an  observation  of  scientific  accuracy 
would  verify  the  current  story,  I  do  not  know, 
but  these  birds  were  said  to  arrive  and  depart 
on  certain  fixed  calendar  days  each  year.  It 
was  supposed  that  upon  a  certain  day  toward 
the  end  of  March  they  came  back,  from  what 
shores  and  seas  I  used  to  wonder  and  dream 
about,  but  never  knew.  Their  nest  was  built 
in  the  top  of  an  oak,  and  was  made  of  sticks  of 
dead  wood  and  seaweed.  Some  of  the  sticks 
were  of  considerable  size.  Every  year  new  ma- 
terial was  added  to  the  former  site,  till  the  nest 
became  a  huge  mass  against  the  sky.  Mean- 


1 92        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

while,  the  tree-top  was  dying ;  and  after  a  few 
years  the  winter  winds  would  throw  it,  with  its 
enormous  load,  to  the  ground.  A  cart  would 
hardly  hold  all  the  material  of  the  several  years' 
accumulation. 

The  name  Fish-Hawk  indicates  the  habits  of 
the  bird.  It  flies  over  the  water,  and,  seeing 
the  fish  near  the  surface,  drops  suddenly  with 
great  speed,  and  fastens  its  talons  into  its  finny 
prey — which  is  devoured  at  leisure  from  some 
tree,  or  fed  to  offspring.  The  talons,  once 
fastened  in  the  fish,  cannot  always  be  with- 
drawn. It  is  reported  that  sometimes  the  bird 
misjudges  the  size  of  its  quarry,  and,  not  being 
able  to  release  itself,  is  drawn  under  the  sur- 
face and  is  drowned.  I  have  often  seen  the 
Hawk  struggle  for  some  time  before  rising  from 
the  water. 

The  bird  is  a  fine  and  noble  creature  in  bear- 
ing, either  at  rest  or  on  the  wing.  With  its 
white  head  and  neck  it  suggests  the  Bald 
Eagle,  and  is  sometimes  mistaken  for  it  by  the 
novice.  The  bird  is  harmless  and  adds  beauty 
to  our  inlets,  bays  and  lakes,  and  should  be 
carefully  guarded. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         193 

DESCRIPTION  : 

Head  and  neck,  white ;  back,  dark  brown. 

Breast  and  abdomen,  white.     Female  has  breast 
somewhat  spotted  with  brown. 

Length,  22  inches. 
Found  on  the  coast,  also  on  lakes  and  rivers 

Summer  resident. 


THE   EAGLES. 

These  birds  do  not  need  a  particular  descrip- 
tion. They  are  well  known,  and  recognized 
wherever  they  are  seen. 

The  Golden  Eagle  is  mostly  confined,  perhaps, 
to  the  eastern  parts  of  our  section,  while  the 
Bald  Eagle  may  be  seen  anywhere  in  the  terri- 
tory. 

People  of  these  States  should  be  warned,  how- 
ever, not  to  kill  at  sight  every  Eagle  that  can 
be  reached  with  a  gun  or  rifle.  Unless  the  birds 
are  doing  us  positive  damage,  they  should  be 
preserved  on  account  of  the  admiration  which 
they  theoretically  command  as  the  "  Bird  of 
Freedom."  In  the  East,  the  Eagles  are  pro- 
tected by  stringent  laws. 


1 94        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

The  Bald  Eagle  has  head,  neck  and  tail  white,  and 
the  rest  of  the  body  dark  grayish  or  dark  brown.  The 
general  color  of  the  Golden  Eagle  is  brownish-black,  and 
the  bird  is  given  the  name  "  Golden  "  from  the  ruddy- 
brown  feathers  on  the  back  of  its  neck. 

Average  length  of  each,  about  three  feet ;  the  female 
being  a  little  larger. 

Permanent  resident. 


THE   OWLS. 

There  are  six  varieties  of  Owls  more  or  less 
common  in  Oregon  and  Washington.  The  Short- 
eared,  or  Marsh,  Owl,  the  Kennicott's  Screech 
Owl,  the  MacFarlane's  Screech  Owl,  the  Dusky 
Horned  Owl,  the  Burrowing  Owl,  and  the 
Pygmy  Owl. 

THE   SHORT-EARED,    OR   MARSH,    OWL. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  black,  buff  and  reddish. 

Under  parts :  white  and  brownish-black. 

Length,  15.5  inches. 
Found  in  and  about  marshy  places. 

This  is  one  bird,  at  least,  of  the  Owl  family 
that  does  not  prefer  the  woods  to  the  open  coun- 
try, though  he  is  sometimes  found  in  the  trees. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         195 

He  lives  and  nests  in  the  marshes,  and  can  be 
seen  at  nightfall,  flying  over  the  marsh,  looking 
for  meadow  mice,  which  are  shown  from  scien- 
tific investigation  to  make  up  the  bulk  of  his 
food. 

There  are  reports  of  this  bird's  habits  in  these 
States  while  rearing  its  young,  that  indicate  a 
diet  of  small  birds.  It  would  be  well  to  thor- 
oughly test  the  matter  on  this  coast  before  ac- 
cepting this  statement  as  a  general  fact.  Dr. 
Fisher  found,  on  examination  of  101  stomachs  of 
this  species  of  owl,  that  no  less  than  seventy- 
seven  contained  the  remains  of  mice. 

The  bird  nests  upon  the  ground. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  As  in  General  Descrip- 
tion. Ear  tufts,  hardly  seen ;  throat,  white ;  breast  im- 
mediately below  chin,  quite  thickly  streaked  with  dark 
brown,  with  streaks  growing  fewer  and  larger  below,  ap- 
proaching the  feet.  Eyes,  yellow. 

Nocturnal  habits. 

THE   SCREECH  OWL. 

Permanent  resident. 

The  name  hardly  indicates  the  character  of 
the  vocal  expression  of  this  bird,  which,  in 


1 96        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

slightly  modified  form,  covers  nearly  all  of  North 
America.  His  voice  is  more  like  a  "tremulous 
wail  "  and  has  been  the  terror  of  the  superstitious 
for  generations,  while  it  is  not  seldom  mistaken 
for  a  human  cry  of  despair  by  those  who  do  not 
know  its  source.  It  is  not  always  a  welcome 
sound,  even  when  the  source  is  known  and 
there  is  no  superstitious  awe  in  the  heart  of  the 
listener.  But  to  the  Nature-lover  the  weird  call 
of  the  Screech  Owl  is  a  part  of  Nature's  music, 
kindles  his  imagination  and  touches  his  heart 
with  satisfaction. 

Mr.  Chapman  reports  that  Dr.  A.  K.  Fisher, 
after  examining  the  stomachs  of  225  of  the 
Screech  Owl  proper,  found  that  ten  contained 
insects,  91  of  the  remaining  125  contained  mice, 
and  poultry  was  found  in  only  one  stomach. 

There  are  two  varieties  of  this  Owl  in  this 
section,  the  Kennicott's,  east  of  the  Cascade 
Mountains,  and  the  MacFarlane's,  west  of  that 
range. 

The  Screech  Owl  may  be  recognized  by  the 
" tremulous  wail"  referred  to,  and  by  its  appear- 
ance, —  partly  from  its  long  ear-tufts  and  partly 
from  its  moderate  size.  The  picture  given  in 


Screech  OwL 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         197 

this  book,  is  of  the  Screech  Owl  proper  of  the 
East,  but  the  bird  is  a  good  representative  of  the 
family. 

KENNICOTT'S   SCREECH  OWL. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Mottled  and  streaked ; 
of  varying  plumage,  but  head  and  back,  brown  and 
tawny,  tending  to  dark,  with  black  streaks;  in  some,  a 
line  on  edges  of  back,  creamy  white ;  whitish  all  around 
the  bill;  under  parts,  mottled,  with  white  usually  some- 
what evident,  some  tawny,  and  all  streaked  with  black. 

Nocturnal  habits. 

Permanent  resident. 

MACFARLANE'S   SCREECH   OWL. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male:  Smaller  than 
female,  with  dark  markings  coarser  and  more  distinct. 

Female :  "  Ground  color,  above  brownish-ash  tinged 
with  vinaceous,  darkest  on  head  and  back,  palest  on 
wings,"  with  obscure  transverse  bars  and  longitudinal 
stripes  of  black ;  "  sides  of  head  and  neck,  thickly  and 
finely  mottled  with  dusky  on  a  lighter  ground  "  ;  "  lores, 
nearly  pure  white  " ;  under  parts,  "  ashy-white,  lightest 
on  abdomen ;  linings  of  wings  and  concealed  silky  plum- 
age of  sides,"  yellowish. 

Nocturnal  habits. 
Permanent  resident. 


198        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

DUSKY  HORNED  OWL. 

Length,  24  inches. 

People  who  have  been  in  the  timber  of  Ore- 
gon and  Washington  will  have  seen  a  very  large 
Owl,  with  high  ear-tufts  (which  give  him  his 
name),  a  dark  face  and  a  white  collar. 

This  Owl  is  quite  common  in  the  heavy  tim- 
ber, and  is  a  splendid  specimen  of  the  family. 
His  hoot  is  characteristic,  and  well  suits  the  sun- 
less solitude  of  the  forests. 

DESCRIPTION.  — All  over,  mottled  and  barred  brown, 
usually  some  tawny,  black  and  white ;  but  general  effect 
dark;  the  face,  usually  sooty-brownish,  slightly  mixed 
with  grayish-white. 

Nocturnal  habits. 
Permanent  resident. 

THE   BURROWING  OWL. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper    parts :    brownish,   spotted,    barred,    and 

varied  with  white  or  buffy. 
Under  parts :  white  or  buffy,  barred  and  spotted 

with  brown. 
Length,  9  to  1 1  inches. 

This  little  Owl  has  a  wide  reputation  as  well 
as  an  extended  habitat.  He  is  found  in  many 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         1 99 

places,  from  western  Kansas,  west  and  north- 
west, to  the  Cascade  Mountains  in  Oregon  and 
Washington.  He  is  the  only  Owl  that  lives 
in  the  ground.  He  scarcely  ever  trusts  himself 
to  his  wings  beyond  a  short  flight  to  some  point 
near  his  hole.  There  are  fables  current  about 
his  living  in  "  Happy  Family  "  fashion  with  rattle- 
snakes and  prairie  dogs.  The  fact,  however,  is 
that  the  Owls  occupy  only  the  burrows  that  have 
been  deserted  by  the  animals  which  made  them. 
And  if  rattlesnakes  do  occupy  the  same  habita- 
tion, it  must  be  one  of  many  rooms,  for,  in  the 
order  of  nature,  snakes  in  the  same  room  with 
the  young  birds  would  swallow  them,  while  the 
old  birds  in  turn  would  eat  the  snakes. 

The  ground-habit  of  these  birds  renders  them 
very  interesting,  and  their  way  of  diving  out  of 
sight,  under  the  earth's  surface,  is  unique,  not 
only  in  the  Owl,  but  in  any  other  bird-family  — 
at  least  in  America. 

These  birds  do  not  hibernate,  as  some  have  it, 
but  appear  upon  comfortable  days  throughout  the 
cold  winters  of  the  regions  which  they  inhabit. 

No  particular  description  is  necessary. 

Permanent  resident. 


2OO        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

CALIFORNIA   PYGMY   OWL. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  dark  brown,  shading  into  reddish, 
•  marked  with  small  white  spots. 

Under  parts  :  white,  streaked  with  black. 

Length,  7  inches. 
Found  in  the  woods. 

This  little  Owl  is  peculiar  in  other  respects 
besides  his  size.  He  is  a  day  and  not  a  night 
bird,  but,  being  very  wary  of  men,  keeps  out  of 
sight.  On  that  account  he  does  not  seem  to  be 
very  abundant,  while  yet  he  may  be  so.  That 
the  owl  is  numerous  in  some  parts  of  this  section, 
is  well  known  ;  for  example,  in  Lincoln  County, 
Oregon.  He  is  peculiar,  also,  in  regard  to  his 
call.  Dr.  Cooper,  one  of  the  earliest  authorities 
upon  the  birds  of  this  coast,  declares  that  "  his 
notes  are  subdued  and  clear  like  the  sound  of  a 
flute."  All  the  other  owls  have  unmusical 
voices. 

The  habits  of  this  little  bird  are  altogether 
harmless  in  respect  of  bird  or  poultry.  Its  prin- 
cipal food,  so  far  as  investigation  has  shown,  con- 
sists of  insects.  He  belongs  to  this  side  of  the 
continent,  from  Colorado  to  the  coast. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        201 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  As  in  general  descrip- 
tion, also  "  top  of  head  dotted  with  whitish  ;  sides  of 
breast,  brownish,  more  or  less  distinctly  spotted  with 
paler;  tail-bands,  always  white."  —  Ridgway. 

Permanent  resident 


THE   KILLDEER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  brownish-gray. 

Under  parts :  white,  two  bands  on  breast. 

Length,  10.5  inches. 

The  Killdeer  is  widely,  though  irregularly, 
distributed.  A  man  who  has  been  reared  in 
Maine  or  in  Missouri,  may  hear  this  spirit  of  the 
sea-shore  or  of  the  marshes  of  his  boyhood  days, 
cry,  "Killdee,  Killdee,"  in  Oregon  or  Washing- 
ton. I  have  heard  on  the  shores  of  New  York 
sea-islands  upon  moonlight  nights,  this  weird, 
though  fascinating,  sound,  associated  in  my  mind 
with  Indian  or  folk-lore  spirit-stories.  The  bird 
belongs  to  the  Plover  family,  and,  though  prefer- 
ring the  vicinity  of  water,  is  not  infrequently 
found  upon  uplands,  lowlands  and  fields.  It 
nests  upon  the  ground  in  various  parts  of  this 
section  of  the  United  States. 


2O2         Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  Back  of  head,  back,  and 
wings,  brownish-gray  or  grayish-brown ;  upper  tail-cov- 
erts, rusty;  tail,  chiefly  yellowish,  varied  with  white, 
dusky,  and  grayish ;  forehead,  stripe  back  of  eye,  hind- 
neck  or  nape,  throat,  breast,  and  abdomen,  white  ;  fore- 
part of  crown,  stripe  across  lores,  a  band  encircling 
neck,  and  another  upon  breast,  black  ;  eyelids,  bright 
orange-red  in  life. 

Summer  resident. 

THE   NORTHERN  PHALAROPE. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Female :  Upper  parts,  lead-color  and  blackish- 
brown  ;  under  parts,  chestnut  above,  and  white 
below,  separated  by  a  lead-colored  line. 
Male  :  Smaller,  with  darker  plumage. 
Found  in  late  summer  and  in  autumn,  and  again  in 
the  early  spring,  upon  our  coast. 

The  Northern  Phalaropes  nest  in  the  Arctic 
regions,  at  least  at,  or  above  55°.  They  stop 
upon  our  shores  for  some  time,  both  during  the 
northern  and  the  southern  passage, — their  winter 
home  being  along  and  below  the  California  coast. 
These  birds  are  extremely  interesting.  They 
seem  to  be  only  a  Snipe,  and  yet  we  often  find 
them  swimming  quite  far  from  land.  Nature 
has  equipped  them  for  this,  for  they  have  feet 


Killdeer  Brooding. 


(See  foot-note,  page  12.) 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        203 

which  are  lobed  and  somewhat  webbed.  Their 
connubial  habits  in  the  North  are  most  extra- 
ordinary, for  here  seems  to  be  a  case  of  male 
subjection  and  bird-"  woman's  rights,"  with  a 
vengeance,  for,  in  this  instance,  it  is  the  female 
that  does  all  the  courting,  and  the  male  that 
does  all  the  brooding  when  once  the  eggs  are 
laid.  As  has  been  remarked  in  the  General 
Description,  the  male  is  smaller  than  the  female, 
as  seems  fitting  in  this  reversal  of  the  usual  sex 
relation. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. — As  in  general  descrip- 
tion, and  further,  a  white  spot  above  and  below  the  eye ; 
flanks,  white,  streaked  with  black;  center  of  wings, 
black ;  breast,  white ;  bill,  black  ;  and  feet,  lead-color. 

THE   LEAST   SANDPIPER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  mixture  of  black,  brown,  and  buff. 
Under  parts :  white ;   throat  and    upper   breast, 

duller  white,  with  white,  indistinct  spots. 
Length,  5  to  6.75  inches. 

Dr.  Elliott  Coues,  in  his  "  Birds  of  the  North- 
west," has  written  more  charmingly  than  any 
one  else  about  this  little  "  Peep/'  which  is  found 
all  over  our  continent  save  in  the  colder  and  the 


204        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

more  tropical  regions.  The  account  should  be 
read  by  all  bird-students. 

This  bird  nests  in  the  North,  but  perhaps  not 
so  far  north  as  do  his  relatives,  and  he  makes 
haste  to  rear  his  young,  for,  beginning  in  May, 
he  is  ready  to  return  to  his  accustomed  haunts 
on  our  shores,  in  July.  After  nesting,  these 
Sandpipers  gather  in  flocks,  like  the  other  two 
families  described  here,  and  live  upon  sand- 
beach  and  mud-flat  their  happy  lives.  They 
have  few  or  no  enemies,  except  the  occasional 
man,  who  must  feel  guilty  when  tempted  to  shoot 
these  confiding  creatures  which  beautify  and 
render  less  bare  and  lonely  our  sea-shore. 
These  birds  are  also  found  everywhere  inland, 
wherever  there  are  marshy  meadows,  shores  of 
creeks,  rivers  and  lakes. 

Celia  Thaxter,  of  literary  fame,  who  lived 
upon  the  Isles  of  Shoals,  on  the  Atlantic  coast, 
where  several  species  of  the  Sandpiper  had  safe, 
summer  homes,  has  made  herself  and  the  Soli- 
tary Sandpiper  (a  few  of  this  species  are  found 
here)  immortal  in  her  poem,  "The  Sandpiper," 
of  which  the  first  and  third  verses  are  here 
given  : 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        205 

"Across  the  narrow  beach  we  flit, 

One  little  sandpiper  and  I, 
And  fast  I  gather,  bit  by  bit, 

The  scattered  driftwood  bleached  and  dry. 
The  wild  waves  reach  their  hands  for  it, 

The  wild  wind  raves,  the  tide  runs  high, 
As  up  and  down  the  beach  we  flit, — 

One  little  sandpiper  and  I. 

I  watch  him  as  he  skims  along, 

Uttering  his  sweet  and  mournful  cry. 
He  starts  not  at  my  fitful  song, 

Or  flash  of  fluttering  drapery. 
He  has  no  thought  of  any  wrong ; 

He  scans  me  wTith  a  fearless  eye. 
Staunch  friends  are  we,  well  tried  and  strong, 

The  little  sandpiper  and  I." 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Top  of  head  and  back, 
rusty-yellowish,  "  broadly  streaked  with  black  "  ;  wings^ 
grayish  to  dark  brown,  edges,  paler  to  buff ;  wings  and 
upper  tail-coverts,  brownish-black,  edges,  pale ;  sides  of 
head,  lores,  neck,  and  breast,  ashy-buff,  streaked  with 
brown  ;  under  parts,  as  in  general  description. 

THE   WESTERN   SANDPIPER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  black  and  rusty,  or  chestnut. 
Under  parts :  white. 
Length,  5.25  inches. 

Found  in  May,  August,  and  September,  on  our  shores 
and  marshes.  Nests  about  the  mouth  of  the  Yukon 
River  and  elsewhere. 


206        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

This  is  the  western  species  of  the  Semi-pal- 
mated  (that  is,  half-webbed)  Sandpiper.  In  its 
habits,  it  is  like  the  Least  Sandpiper,  for  in  our 
latitude  it  lives  and  moves  in  flocks,  and  it  has 
the  same  gentle,  confiding  ways.  In  appearance 
also,  it  resembles  the  Least  Sandpiper,  but  may 
be  distinguished  by  the  greater  prevalence  of  the 
chestnut  shading  in  this  bird  and  by  the  fact 
that  the  toes  of  the  Least  Sandpiper  are  com- 
pletely cleft. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  Feathers  of  crown  and 
nape,  centrally  black,  edged  with  rusty  and  grayish- 
white  ;  sides  of  head,  and  neck,  often  rusty  ;  lores  and 
ear-marks,  rusty,  finely  streaked  with  brown ;  back  and 
rump,  like  crown,  except  the  edging  is  rusty  or  buff,  and 
not  white ;  throat,  sides  of  neck,  breast,  and  abdomen, 
white,  thickly  marked  with  blackish-brown. 

Transient. 

THE   RED-BACKED   SANDPIPER. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 
Upper  parts :  rufous. 
Under  parts  :  grayish-white,  finely  streaked  with 

dusky. 

Length,  8.5  inches. 

Found  along  our  shores  in  April  and  May,  and  from 
August  into  the  autumn. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         207 

This  Sandpiper  may  be  recognized  both  by 
its  size  and  its  reddish  back.  The  birds  move 
in  flocks,  and  with  a  uniformity  and  unity  excel- 
ling, perhaps,  those  of  the  two  species  already 
described.  They  are  as  one  bird  in  their  rapid 
turns  and  winged  evolutions.  These  Sandpipers 
are  larger  than  those  before  named. 

The  bird  nests  in  Alaska,  along  the  shores 
of  Behring  Sea,  arriving  there  about  June  ist. 
An  observer  describes  their  courtship  as  most 
beautiful  and  entertaining.  "As  the  lover's 
suit  approaches  its  end,  the  handsome  suitor 
becomes  exalted,  and  in  his  moments  of  excite- 
ment he  rises  fifteen  or  twenty  yards,  and 
hovering  on  tremulous  wings  over  the  object 
of  his  passion,  pours  forth  a  perfect  gush  of 
music,  till  he  glides  back  to  earth  exhausted, 
but  ready  to  repeat  the  effort  a  few  moments 
later."  Elliot. 

The  killing  of  these  birds  for  game  is  alto- 
gether unjustifiable.  Their  meat  is  not  savory, 
and  to  shoot  into  a  flock  of  these  beautiful  and 
graceful  creatures  on  the  wing,  ought  to  be  im- 
possible to  a  man  who  has  within  him  a  sense  of 
the  beautiful  or  a  heart  of  compassion. 


208         Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Summer  plumage : 
Crown  and  back,  bright  rufous,  streaked  with  black ; 
wings,  brown,  with  white  edge  on  greater-coverts ;  tail- 
feathers,  brown,  darker  in  the  middle ;  sides  of  head, 
neck,  and  breast,  grayish-white,  finely  streaked  with 
dusky  ;  superciliary  line,  white  ;  abdomen,  black ;  bill, 
feet,  and  legs,  black. 

Transient. 


THE   GULLS. 

This  book  would  lack  something,  if  it  did  not 
at  least  name  some  of  the  most  common  of  those 
sea-birds  which  are  so  much  in  evidence  at  cer- 
tain times  of  the  year  upon  the  sea-shore  or  on 
our  rivers,  inland  lakes  and  even  about  the  docks 
of  our  commercial  cities. 

They  are  everywhere  objects  of  great  beauty, 
and  about  the  cities  and  towns  upon  our  coast 
are  useful  sanitary  agents,  devouring  the  offal 
which  floats  upon  the  harbors. 

A  number  of  the  varieties  of  this  family  are  to 
be  seen  regularly  at  certain  seasons  in  these 
States. 

The  small  Gulls  with  slim  bodies,  sharp  bills, 
and  tails  more  or  less  forked,  are  known  as  Terns, 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        209 

sometimes  as  "  Sea  Swallows."  They  are  to  be 
seen  along  our  shores  in  August,  and  are  very 
graceful  of  movement  and  most  of  them  are 
beautiful  in  color. 

Two  varieties,  common  perhaps  in  most  locali- 
ties, are  here  described  ;  the  Arctic  and  the  Black 
Terns. 

THE   ARCTIC   TERN. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  deep  pearl-gray,  black  cap. 

Under  parts:  dull  lavender-gray. 

Length,  14  to  17  inches. 
Found  on  sea-coast  and  on  lakes  in  late  summer. 

On  the  Atlantic  coast  such  ravages  have  the 
plume-hunters  wrought  among  the  Terns  that 
the  annihilation  of  one  species  was  thought  to 
have  been  almost  accomplished,  while  the 
number  of  each  variety  has  been  greatly  re- 
duced. But  at  present  the  whole  Atlantic  sea- 
coast  is  patrolled  in  summer  time  by  paid  agents 
of  the  American  Ornithological  Union  (the  great 
scientific  Bird  Society  of  the  United  States),  and 
these  beautiful  sea-birds  are  being  protected  and 
are  multiplying  rapidly.  May  the  Pacific  coast 


2 1  o        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

never  have  occasion  to  save  our  own  Terns  at 
such  cost ! 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Black  cap ;  sides  of 
head,  white ;  nape  and  back,  deep  pearl-gray ;  wings, 
upper  tail-coverts,  and  tail,  white ;  under  parts,  all  dull 
lavender-gray,  except  under  tail-coverts,  which  are  white  ; 
tail,  very  much  forked  ;  bill,  carmine  ;  feet,  red. 

The  red  upon  the  bill  of  these  Terns  is  a  strik- 
ing and  beautiful  feature. 
Summer  resident. 


THE   BLACK  TERN. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  ;  Summer  plumage : 
Upper  parts  :  more  or  less  dark. 
Under  parts :  almost  black,  or  very  dark  lead- 
color. 
Length,  9  to  10  inches. 

The  color  makes  the  identification  of  this  "  Sea 
Swallow"  very  easy,  and  any  one  will  at  once 
recognize  in  the  small,  dark  —  not  really  "  black" 
—  Gull,  the  Black  Tern. 

Summer  resident. 

Eight  species  of  the  Gull  proper  are  here  de- 
scribed :  the  Western  or  Summer,  the  Glaucus- 
winged,  the  American  Herring,  the  Ring-billed, 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        2 1 1 

the  California,  the  Short-billed,  and  the  Bona- 
parte's Gulls,  and  the  Pacific  Kittiwake. 

All  but  one  of  these  nest  in  the  North,  in  the 
Arctic  or  sub-Arctic  regions,  and  are  most  in 
evidence  on  our  coasts  in  the  autumn  and  win- 
ter months. 

THE  WESTERN,  OR  SUMMER,  GULL. 

This  is  the  only  permanent  resident  among 
our  Gulls,  nesting  in  summer  time  on  the  islands 
along  the  Pacific  coast.  It  is  rather  smaller 
than  the  Glaucus-winged  and  the  American  Her- 
ring Gulls  and  has  the  darkest  mantle  of  any 
of  the  species  named.  It  has  been  and  still  is, 
in  some  parts,  tame  and  friendly,  in  spite  of  its 
abuse  by  boys.  Sometimes  it  has  been  seen 
perching  on  houses  with  pigeons.  Dr.  Cooper 
says  it  is  the  most  abundant  and  characteristic 
of  the  Pacific  coast  Gulls. 

DESCRIPTION.  —  Rather  smaller  than  the  American 
Herring  Gull ;  bill,  larger  in  proportion ;  mantle,  deep 
lead-color;  secondaries  and  tertiaries,  very  broadly  — 
for  one  inch  or  more  —  tipped  with  white ;  four  outer 
primaries,  black ;  outer  quill,  with  about  two  inches  of 
its  terminal  portion,  white ;  remainder  of  the  plumage, 


212        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

snow-white ;  bill,  deep  chrome  or  wax-yellow,  the  broad 
part  of  mandible  marked  by  a  bright  spot  of  red ;  feet, 
yellow. 

Permanent  resident. 


The  next  four  Gulls,  found  all  together  about 
our  harbors  and  upon  our  piers,  are  so  much  alike 
that  they  cannot  be  easily  distinguished.  Two, 
however,  are  larger  than  the  other  two,  namely, 
the  Glaucus-winged  and  the  American  Herring. 
But,  on  the  other  hand,  one  of  the  other  two 
varieties,  the  Ring-billed,  has  a  "mantle"  like 
that  of  the  American  Herring  Gull.  (The  back 
and  folded  wings  of  a  Gull,  taken  together,  are 
called  the  "  mantle.")  The  two  smaller  ones, 
the  Ring-billed  and  the  California,  are  almost 
the  same,  the  latter  being  a  slight  modification 
of  the  former. 

By  studying  through  a  glass  the  distinguishing 
marks  upon  each  of  the  Gulls,  we  may  learn  to 
tell  our  friendly  winter  visitors  apart,  and  to  get  a 
more  intimate  knowledge  of  our  Summer  Gull. 

The  descriptions  of  the  Summer  Gull  and  of 
the  next  four  birds  are  taken  from  Dr.  Elliott 
Coues. 


g 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        213 

THE   GLAUCUS-WINGED   GULL. 

Length,  22  to  27  inches. 

This  is  probably  the  most  common  of  all  the 
Gulls  in  our  harbors. 

DESCRIPTION.  —  Mantle,  average  Gull-blue;  in  win- 
ter, head  and  neck,  clouded  with  dusky,  not  streaked  as 
in  the  American  Herring  Gull ;  primaries,  color  of 
mantle  to  very  tips,  marked  with  definite  small  white 
spots ;  first  primary,  with  a  large  white  sub-apical  spot. 
Bill,  yellow  with  red  spot.  Feet,  flesh  color. 

Winter  resident. 

THE   AMERICAN  HERRING   GULL. 

Length,  22  to  27  inches. 

This  bird  is  common  to  both  the  Pacific  and 
Atlantic  coasts,  in  the  winter  season. 

DESCRIPTION. —  Mantle,  pale  dull  blue;  in  winter, 
head  and  hind  neck,  streaked  with  dusky  ;  primaries 
(outer  wing-feathers) ,  black  ;  bill,  yellow  with  red  spots  ; 
feet,  flesh  color.  Same  size  and  shape  as  the  Glaucus- 
winged  Gull. 

Winter  resident. 

THE  RING-BILLED  GULL. 

Length,  1 8  to  20  inches. 

The  name  indicates  a  distinction  in  this  bird 
which,  however,  it  shares  to  some  extent  with 


214        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

the  California  Gull.  The  ring  on  the  bill  will 
enable  us  to  distinguish  it  from  the  American 
Herring  and  the  Glaucus-winged. 

DESCRIPTION.  —  Mantle,  pale  dull  blue  ;  bill,  greenish- 
yellow,  enriched  with  a  black  band  near  the  end;  the 
band  usually  complete  but  sometimes  defective ;  the  tip 
and  most  of  the  cutting  edges  of  the  bill,  yellow ;  in  high 
condition,  the  angle  of  the  mouth  and  a  small  spot  be- 
side the  black,  red ;  feet,  olivaceous,  obscured  with 
dusky  or  bluish,  and  partly  yellow  ;  webs,  bright  chrome. 

Winter  resident. 

THE   CALIFORNIA   GULL. 

DESCRIPTION.  —  Nearly  the  same  as  the  Ring-billed  ; 
a  little  larger,  22  inches ;  black  band  on  bill  more  per- 
fect ;  the  white  spot  on  the  first  primary  enlarged  to  oc- 
cupy the  whole  end  of  feather  for  more  than  two  inches. 
This  is  the  distinguishing  mark. 

THE   SHORT-BILLED  GULL. 

Length,  16.5  to  18  inches. 

The  Short-billed  Gull  breeds  in  the  Arctic 
regions  in  summer,  but  in  winter  is  found  in 
numbers  along  our  coast.  In  size,  it  is  between 
the  large  Gulls,  before  described,  and  the  Bona- 
parte's Gull.  The  "  short  bill "  will  help  to 
identify  it. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        2 1 5 

DESCRIPTION.  —  Mantle,  pearl-color,  medium  shade ; 
the  rest  of  the  plumage,  white,  except  quills,  which  have 
black  on  them.  A  sure  distinguishing  mark  is  a  gray 
wedge-shaped  patch  on  inner  web  of  wings. 

Winter  resident. 


THE  BONAPARTE'S  GULL. 

Length,  12  to  14  inches. 

This  Gull  is  more  or  less  common  all  along 
our  coast,  very  common  at  Ilwaco,  Washington, 
and  in  some  other  places.  It  may  be  distin- 
guished from  all  of  those  previously  named  by  its 
size  ;  it  is  much  smaller.  It  is  to  be  seen  only  in 
autumn  and  in  winter,  as  it  breeds  in  Alaska. 

DESCRIPTION.  —  Winter  plumage  of  adult :  Head, 
white  ;  back  of  head,  tinged  with  grayish  ;  ear-coverts, 
marked  with  a  dusky  spot ;  mantle,  delicate  pale  pearl- 
gray  ;  three  outer  quills  in  wings,  white  and  gray,  but 
terminals,  black ;  rest  of  plumage,  pure  white ;  feet,  in 
life,  pale  flesh-color ;  bill,  deep  black.  (Ridgway.) 

Winter  resident. 

THE  PACIFIC  KITTIWAKE. 

Length,  16  to  17  inches. 

This  Gull  is  quite  a  common  winter  resident 
upon  our  coast,  and  may  be  identified  by  notic- 


2 1 6        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

ing  that  the  tail  is  slightly  emarginate,  that  is,  a 
little  divided  in  the  centre  of  the  extremity.  The 
size  is  about  that  of  the  Short-billed  Gull,  and 
the  color  is  not  very  different.  The  mantle  is, 
however,  a  deep  pearl ;  the  rest  of  the  plumage, 
white ;  and  the  hind  part  of  the  head  and  neck 
are  washed  with  gray,  with  a  dark  plumbeous 
suffusion  before  and  behind  the  eyes ;  bill,  yel- 
low ;  feet,  blackish. 
Winter  resident. 


WINTER   BIRDS. 

Some  of  our  birds  are  "  Winter  Birds,"  either 
because,  nesting  elsewhere,  they  are  with  us 
only  in  winter  and  early  spring,  or  because,  in 
that  season,  they  are  more  about  our  homes. 

Amongst  them  are  some  of  the  most  beauti- 
ful, familiar  and  entertaining  of  any  of  the  feath- 
ered creatures  that  come  to  us.  These  are  the 
Junco,  the  Varied  Thrush,  Townsend's  Sparrow, 
the  Titlark,  the  Crossbills,  the  Redpoll  and  the 
Snowflake. 

Each  of  these  varieties  may  nest,  more  or 
less,  within  our  States,  in  higher  altitudes  or  on 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        217 

our  northern  borders,  Two  or  three  of  them, 
we  know,  do  this  to  some  extent,  and  one  of 
them,  the  Junco,  builds  its  nest  in  our  vicinity. 

The  Western  Evening  Grosbeak  is  not  put 
in  this  list,  but  is  described  as  among  the  "  Feb- 
ruary birds,"  because  he  comes  so  late  in  the 
winter,  and  lingers  so  long  in  the  spring 

Then  there  are  the  Chickadees,  Nuthatches 
and  Kinglets,  which,  though  permanent  resi- 
dents, are  more  easily  seen  in  our  orchards  and 
near  our  homes  in  winter  —  the  Kinglets  being 
also,  however,  an  especially  interesting  early 
spring  bird. 

THE  OREGON  JUNCO. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Male :  Upper  parts  :  black  head  and  neck  ;  back 

and  tail,  dark  gray. 
Under  parts :  light  gray  and  white. 
Length,  5.75  to  6.75  inches. 

Found  everywhere  in  western  part  of  these  States. 
This  is  the  most  familiar  and  entertaining  of 
the  winter  birds.  Nearly  every  child  knows  the 
"  Snow  Bird,"  who  comes  about  our  suburban, 
and  sometimes  our  city,  homes,  to  catch  the  scat- 
tered crumbs  and  the  bird-seed  which  thoughtful 


2 1 8        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

human  friends  have  provided.  How  neat  and 
admirable  their  dress  !  The  male  with  his  black, 
cowl-like  head,  and  the  female  in  her  modest 
Quaker-like  garb,  and  both  with  an  exquisite 
flesh-colored  bill  —  the  daintiest  bill  of  any  bird 
that  we  see  in  these  parts. 

The  little  creature  is  often  rendered  quite 
tame  by  attention  and  careful  feeding.  He  may 
become  very  much  at  home  with  us  by  the  right 
treatment,  by  letting  him  associate  his  crumbs 
or  bird-seed  with  our  bestowal,  and  with  some 
soft  and  oft -repeated  whistle.  He  will  soon  feed 
at  your  feet,  and  even  from  your  hand.  His 
song  is  a  sweet  trill. 

The  Junco  resides  largely,  perhaps  altogether, 
in  our  region  during  the  whole  year,  but  during 
the  nesting-season  it  retires  so  entirely  from  its 
winter  haunt,  and  lives  so  obscurely  till  winter 
comes  again,  that  it  is  recognized  popularly  as 
a  Winter  Bird. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  Male:  Head  and  the 
whole  neck,  black ;  back  and  upper  tail-feathers,  dark 
gray ;  breast,  grayish-white ;  abdomen  and  outer  tail- 
feathers,  white. 

Female  :  With  head,  back,  etc.,  dull  slate-gray  ;  other- 
wise like  the  male,  but  colors  duller. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         219 

A  permanent  resident,  but  very  retired  during 
nesting  and  summer  time. 

THE   VARIED   THRUSH. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  slaty,  like  the  Robin,  with  yellow- 
ish stripes  upon  the  wings. 
Under  parts  :  orange-yellow  breast. 
Length,  9.5  inches. 

Found  all  over  the  western  valleys  of  the  two  States. 

This  bird  —  whicb  comes  to  us  in  the  autumn 
from  Alaska,  where  it  nests  in  large  numbers  — 
is  sometimes  called  the  "Alaskan  Robin."  Its 
general  appearance  is  Robin-like,  and  therefore 
it  is  also  called  the  "  Varied  Robin."  It  differs 
mainly  in  having  yellow  markings.  It  is  a 
beautiful  bird  in  its  variegated  coloring.  The 
orange  shade  upon  the  breast  is  much  brighter 
in  some  of  the  birds  than  in  others,  and  gives  a 
momentary  effect  of  the  gorgeous  coloring  of 
the  Oriole's  breast. 

These  birds  are  wild  and  retiring  upon  their 
arrival  in  this  section,  but  before  the  winter  is 
over  they  are  seen  not  far  from,  and  sometimes 
very  near,  houses,  The  writer  saw  one  on 


22O        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

March  igth,  1901,  picking  around  the  back- 
door step  of  a  house  in  suburban  Portland. 

Some  of  these  Thrushes  linger  into  April,  but 
then  they  are  off  to  their  secluded  nesting-homes, 
most  of  them  twelve  hundred  miles  north. 

One  or  two  nests  of  this  species  have  been 
discovered  in  Oregon,  and  a  number  of  birds 
have  been  seen  at  nesting-time  in  the  Coast 
Range  Mountains  in  the  same  State. 

John  Burroughs,  in  his  report  of  his  visit  to 
Alaska  with  the  "  Harriman  Expedition,"  in 
1899,  speaks  of  their  nests  and  of  their  sweet 
song,  with  which  they  never  favor  this  locality. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. —  Head  and  tail,  black- 
ish-brown ;  back  and  wings,  slaty  ;  orange-rufous  stripe 
back  of  eyes ;  three  of  the  same  color  upon  each  wing ; 
throat,  breast  and  sides,  orange-rufous  ;  black  crescent 
on  the  breast. 

Winter  resident. 

THE   TOWNSEND'S   SPARROW. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  plain  dark  brown. 
Under  parts:  white,  with  numerous  large  trian- 
gular brown  spots  on  breast,  and  streaks  of  the 
.  same  on  sides. 
Length,  7  inches  and  more. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        221 

Found  in  winter,  in  hedges  and  by  roadsides  and  in 
shrubbery  in  fields,  in  company  with  the  Rusty  Song 
Sparrow. 

The  "  Townsend's "  is  one  of  the  western 
representatives  of  the  eastern  Fox  Sparrow,  and 
like  him  is  a  noble  bird,  being  the  largest  and 
the  most  striking  in  appearance  of  any  of  the 
family.  The  members  of  this  special  tribe  of 
Sparrows  are  very  numerous  in  winter  in  west- 
ern Oregon  and  in  Washington,  and  it  is  to  be 
regretted  that  in  the  spring  they  leave  us  to 
nest  in  more  northern  parts.  No  particular  des- 
cription is  required,  as  the  size  of  the  bird,  and 
the  spotted  breast,  will  make  his  identification 
easy. 

Winter  resident. 

THE   AMERICAN   PIPIT,   OR  TITLARK. 

•GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  grayish-brown. 

Under  parts  :  buffy,  streaked  on  the  breast ;  outer 

tail-feathers,  white. 
Length,  6  to  7  inches. 

Found  in  flocks  in  winter,  upon  bottom  lands  and 
fields  that  have  been  overflowed. 

When  one  is  passing  some  low  lands  in  winter, 


222        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

and  sees  a  large  flock  of  sparrow-like  birds  rise 
with  irregular  flight,  calling  "  dee-dee,  dee-dee," 
and  sometimes  returning  to  the  spot  from  which 
they  were  flushed,  he  may  be  sure  he  has  found 
the  American  Pipit,  or  Titlark, —  also  called  the 
Brown  or  Red  Lark.  It  is  with  us  in  abundance 
in  winter  time,  but  goes  in  summer  (like  the 
Evening  Grosbeak)  to  northern  parts  or  to  the 
mountains,  above  the  timber  line,  to  nest  upon 
the  ground.  The  bird  is  called  a  Lark  because 
it  lives  upon  the  open  ground,  where  it  prefers 
to  run  rather  than  to  rise  and  fly ;  and  when 
flushed  it  is  only  for  a  moment  on  the  wing,  and 
then  not  far  from  its  beloved  earth.  It  is  so 
named,  also,  because  when  it  does  take  a  spon- 
taneous flight  higher  than  the  enforced  one,  it 
sings  on  the  wing.  It  is  said  to  be  "  expert  in 
catching  a  small  variety  of  insect  or  fly  which 
frequents  the  lowlands." 

But  the  Titlark  belongs  to  the  Wagtail  family, 
because  while  on  the  ground  he  teeters  and 
twitches  and  wags  his  tail  in  a  comical  fashion 
characteristic  of  the  family. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head,  back,  wings  and 
tail,  grayish-brown  ;  tail  and  wings,  more  dusky ;  a  pale 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        223 

buffy  line  above  the  eye ;  throat,  breast  and  abdomen, 
buffy,  with  breast  and  sides  streaked  with  dusky. 

A  winter  resident.  Perhaps  some  nest  in 
these  parts,  as  they  have  been  seen  here  in  July. 

THE    AMERICAN    CROSSBILL    AND    THE    RED- 
POLL. 

There  are  two  Winter-Birds,  which  are  not 
common  but  which  may  be  discovered  by  some 
one  who  would  like  to  identify  them.  They  are 
the  American  Crossbill  and  the  Redpoll. 

The  first-named,  with  his  crossed  bill,  when 
once  seen,  will  scarcely  need  further  description. 
It  is  enough  to  add  that  his  color  is  generally 
reddish,  —  a  color  resembling  that  of  the  Cali- 
fornia Purple  Finch,  —  and  his  size  about  six 
inches.  His  crossed  bill  is  exactly  fitted  to  cut 
open  pine  cones,  the  contents  of  which  constitute 
his  chief  food. 

The  Redpoll  is  smaller,  its  general  color 
streaked  and  dusky,  with  white  and  brownish 
ground  ;  the  rump  and  breast  are  rose-red  in  the 
male,  and,  as  the  name  indicates,  he  has  a  crim- 
son crown. 

These  birds  both  nest  in  the  north,  or  in  un- 


224        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

known    places    in  the  mountains,  and  are  seen 
only  in  winter  and  in  early  spring. 


THE   SNOWFLAKE,   OR   SNOW-BUNTING. 

Length,  6.5  inches  plus. 

The  Snowflake,  or  Snow-Bunting,  which  nests 
within  the  Arctic  Circle,  may  be  seen  not  infre- 
quently during  the  winter  months  in  eastern 
Oregon  and  Washington.  His  coming  is  not  for 
a  warmer  temperature,  it  would  seem,  but  for 
the  light,  and  for  the  abundant  food  that  may  be 
gathered  from  the  tall  weeds  and  grasses  stand- 
ing above  the  snow.  He  may  be  seen  on  the 
northern  prairies  of  our  country,  clear  across  the 
continent,  and  the  little  creature  seems  fairly  to 
rejoice  in  the  blizzards  and  the  low  temperatures, 
in  the  severity  of  which  men  and  beasts  perish. 

DESCRIPTION.  —  Winter  plumage :  Head,  back  and 
inner  wing-feathers,  more  or  less  reddish-brown  and 
black ;  tail,  centre-feathers  black,  outer-feathers  white ; 
breast  and  sides,  slightly  brownish ;  abdomen,  white. 

Only  a  winter  resident. 

His  winter  habitat  is  over  the  whole  northern 
half  of  the  United  States. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        225 

THE   CHICKADEES. 

The  Chickadee  is  assured  of  the  friendship 
of  every  one  who  knows  him.  This  little  ani- 
mated bunch  of  feathers,  with  his  cheery  man- 
ner and  happy  song,  may  be  seen  in  the  winter 
time,  scouring  the  limbs  of  our  fruit-trees  for 
the  eggs  which  will  later,  unless  destroyed, 
become  canker-worms  and  other  pests  of  the 
orchard. 

His  dress  befits  his  manner,  and  taking  him 
altogether,  one  might  be  justified  for  once  in 
using  the  phrase,  "  a  love  of  a  bird." 

In  the  colder  regions  of  the  Eastern  States, 
nothing  gives  more  cheer  to  a  frigid  winter 
morning,  with  the  mercury  at  20  degrees  below 
zero,  than  this  happy  little  creature,  singing  out 
into  the  cold  air  his  oft-repeated  "  Chick-a-dee  — 
dee-dee,"  while  he  moves  from  limb  to  limb. 

May  he  often  find,  in  winter  time,  that,  in 
gratitude  for  his  merry  song  and  his  helpfulness 
in  the  orchard,  some  human  friend  has  tied  a 
small  piece  of  beef-suet  or  cheese-rind  upon  a 
tree  to  add  a  little  variety  to  his  menu.  With 
a  little  leading  and  care,  this  tempting  provision, 
placed  upon  a  board  at  the  window,  will  bring 


226         Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

the  Chickadees,  also  the  Nuthatches,  to  close 
fellowship  with  you. 

There  are  two  varieties  of  the  Chickadee  com- 
mon in  our  section,  the  Oregon  and  the  Chest- 
nut-backed. They  are  enough  alike  in  their  looks 
and  habits  to  deceive  any  one  who  does  not  see 
them  near  to,  or  through  a  glass.  But  the  chest- 
nut color  is  sufficiently  clear  to  mark  the  dis- 
tinction, once  it  is  seen.  The  "Chickadee"  call  is 
not  so  clear  in  the  Chestnut-backed  as  in  the  Ore- 
gon, and  neither  gives  so  distinct  an  articulation 
to  this  word,  which  gave  these  birds  their  name, 
as  does  the  eastern  Black-capped  Chickadee,  of 
which  the  Oregon  Chickadee  is  the  western 
variety. 

The  two  varieties  do  not  mingle  much,  but 
each,  after  nesting,  loves  the  company  of  its  own 
kind,  and,  as  we  shall  see  elsewhere,  that  of  the 
Nuthatches  as  well. 


THE   OREGON   CHICKADEE. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head,  neck,  throat, 
and  upper  breast,  black ;  back  and  tail,  gray  ;  a  V-shaped 
white  section  with  the  point  at  the  bill,  extends  back  to 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         227 

the   shoulder ;    lower   breast,    white ;    abdomen,    buffy. 
Length,  4.5  to  5.25  inches. 

Permanent  resident. 

THE   CHESTNUT-BACKED    CHICKADEE. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  The  same  as  the  Ore- 
gon Chickadee,  except  head,  brownish-black  instead  of 
black  ;  back  and  sides,  chestnut ;  abdomen,  light  gray. 
Length,  4.5  to  5  inches. 

Permanent  resident. 


THE   BUSH-TIT. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION: 

Upper  parts ;  brownish-gray. 

Under  parts  :  light  smoky-brown. 

Length,  4.5  inches. 

Found  upon  oak  trees  and  also  upon  the  limbs  and 
twigs  of  young  deciduous  growth. 

Not  unlike  the  Chickadees  in  general  forni 
(they  belong  to  the  same  family),  or  unlike  the 
Kinglets  in  habits,  are  the  little  Bush-Tits  which 
may  be  seen  in  small  flocks  in  winter  time, 
hanging  from  the  twigs  of  young  growth,  and 
searching,  like  their  relatives,  for  what  are  fco 
them  dainty  bits  of  insect-life.  Their  "cute" 


228        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

ways  and  gentle,  though  lively  demeanor,  at- 
tract attention  and  invite  study. 

This  is  one  of  the  three  varieties  of  birds  that 
build  a  pouch-like  nest.  That  of  the  Bush-Tits 
is  much  larger  than  would  seem  needful  for  these 
little  mites,  or  possible  for  them  to  construct. 
The  nest  is  usually  only  five  or  six  feet  from 
the  ground,  in  low  growth,  but  has  been  seen 
much  higher  in  evergreens. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Head,  rather  sooty ; 
back,  deep  brownish-gray ;  lower  parts,  as  above,  but 
deep  smoky  along  the  sides. 

Permanent  resident. 


THE   COAST   WREN-TIT. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts  :  deep  umber-brown, 

Under  parts :  cinnamon-brown. 

Length,  6  to  6.5  inches. 

Found  in  and  about  Coast  Range  Mountains,  espe- 
cially in  southern  Oregon. 

This  is  one  of  the  small  and  peculiarly  fasci- 
nating birds.  It  resembles  the  Chickadee  in 
general  appearance,  but  has  the  manners  of  the 
Wren.  He  is  like  the  latter  in  sprightliness  and 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        229 

jerky  style.  The  song  is  striking,  and  on  account 
of  it  the  bird,  in  Colorado,  its  eastern  territorial 
limit,  is  called  the  "  Scale  Bird."  Mrs.  Bailey 
(nee  Merriam)  says,  "  He  is  not  seen  unless  you 
go  to  the  brush  to  look  for  him,  but,  wherever 
you  are,  you  will  hear  the  clear  ringing  voice 
running  down  the  scale,  the  bell-like  tones  now 
coming  from  the  chaparral  of  the  valley,  now 
from  the  boulder-strewn  hillsides  above.  The 
Wren-Tit  seems  timid  about  singing  in  sight. 
A  common  form  of  the  song  is  a  scale  of  seven 
two-syllabled  notes,  — ' tip-it,  tip-it.'" 

There  are  possibly  two  varieties  of  this  Tit  in 
the  section  covered  by  this  book.  The  one  de- 
scribed here  is  certainly  not  uncommon  on  our 
coast. 

Osgood  gives  a  Particular  Description  nearly 
as  follows  : 

Upper  parts,  almost  uniformly  umber-brown,  darkest 
on  head,  becoming  blackish  on  wings  ;  tail,  blackish- 
brown,  with  tinge  of  olivaceous  ;  flanks,  about  like  rump, 
insensibly  grading  into  side ;  lores,  cheeks  and  sides  of 
head,  dark  ashy ;  a  white  spot  above  and  below  the  eye ; 
throat,  breast  and  sides,  deep  brownish-rufous ;  limited 
area  in  middle  of  abdomen,  buffy-yellow. 

Permanent  resident. 


230        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 


THE   NUTHATCHES. 

What  are  these  birds,  in  whose  company  the 
Chickadees  and  the  Kinglets  rove  in  winter 
time  ?  The  Nuthatches  are  creepers,  and  have 
long  bills  which  are  a  great  advantage  in  prob- 
ing in  the  crevices  of  the  bark  for  the  insects 
that  the  Chickadees  and  Kinglets,  with  their 
short  bills,  cannot  reach.  The  Nuthatch  has 
slightly  elongated  toe-nails,  which  may  account 
for  the  great  ease  with  which  it  runs  up  or  down 
tree-trunks.  They  are  called  Hatches  or  Hack- 
ers, because  some  of  the  species  use  their  bills  to 
hack  or  crack  nuts  which  they  have  previously 
hidden  in  crevices. 

Edith  M.  Thomas  has  written  a  poem,  "To 
the  Nuthatch,"  which  so  perfectly  describes 
this  bird  of  the  tree-trunk,  that  it  is  inserted 
here  : 

"  Shrewd  little  haunter  of  woods  all  gray 
Whom  I  meet  on  my  walk  of  a  winter  day  — 
You're  busy  inspecting  each  cranny  and  hole 
In  the  ragged  bark  of  yon  hickory  pole  ; 
You  intent  on  your  task,  and  I  on  the  law 
Of  your  wonderf  ul  head  and  gymnastic  claw ! 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        231 

The  woodpecker  well  may  despair  of  this  feat  — 
Only  the  fly  with  you  can  compete  I 
So  much  is  clear ;  but  I  fain  would  know 
How  you  can  so  reckless  and  fearless  go, 
Head  upward,  head  downward,  all  one  to  you, 
Zenith  and  nadir  the  same  in  your  view  ? " 

There  are  two  varieties  of  the  Nuthatch  in  our 
States  —  the  Red-breasted,  and  the  less  common 
Slender-billed  Nuthatch. 


THE   RED-BREASTED   NUTHATCH. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  black  and  brownish. 

Under  parts  :  rufous,  or  light  rusty-red. 

Length,  4  to  4.5  inches. 

Found  on  trunks  and  large  limbs  of  trees,  both  ever- 
greens and  deciduous. 

This  little  creature,  creeping  swiftly  along  the 
under  side  of  a  limb  as  a  fly  runs  along  the  ceil- 
ing, uttering  his  "  Tai-tai-tait,"  is  truly  about  as 
curious  a  specimen  of  bird-life  as  we  shall  find 
among  Land-birds.  His  long,  sharp  bill  has 
such  incessant  use  that  it  is  a  wonder  it  does  not 
wear  down  and  become  short. 


232        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male:  Head  and  neck, 
black ;  black  stripe  passing  through  eye  to  shoulder,  and 
white  stripe  over  eye ;  back  and  upper  wing-coverts, 
lead-color ;  tail,  black,  barred  with  white  near  the  end, 
tipped  with  pale  brown  ;  below,  pale  reddish-brown. 

Female  :  Top  of  head,  gray. 

Permanent  resident. 

THE   SLENDER-BILLED   NUTHATCH. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  gray. 

Under  parts :  white. 

Length,  5.5  inches. 
Found  on  tree-trunks,  etc. 

This  Nuthatch  is  not  equally  common  in  all 

parts  of  our  States,  but  is  not  infrequently  found 

—perhaps   more    frequently  —  in    the    eastern 

parts  of  this  section.     It  is  the  western  species 

of  the  eastern  White-breasted  Nuthatch. 

The  name  Slender-billed  describes  one  main 
characteristic  of  the  bird.  Its  habits  are  sub- 
stantially the  same  as  those  of  the  Red-breasted 
Nuthatch. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male  :  Top  of  head 
and  neck,  black ;  back,  slate-color ;  wings,  dark  slate ; 
white  breast  and  under  parts. 

Permanent  resident. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        233 

THE  KINGLETS. 

In  winter  or  in  early  spring,  one  looking  for 
birds  will  often  come  across  some  little  creatures 
with  charming  dress  and  ways,  whose  names  and 
unrevealed  beauties  one  should  make  haste  to 
know.  They  are  the  smallest  of  birds  after  the 
Hummingbirds  and  Winter  Wrens.  In  winter 
they  are  often  in  the  good  company  of  the  Chick- 
adees, and  sometimes  of  the  Nuthatches, — as  if 
relatives,  in  a  way.  And  a  happy  family  they 
are,  without  jealousy  or  even  occasional  conten- 
tion. 

The  Golden-crowned  and  the  Ruby-crowned 
Kinglets  answer  the  Chickadee's  "  Chick-a-dee, 
dee,  dee,"  with  their  own  peculiarly  bright  "  Ti, 
ti "  or  "  Zei,  zei,"  and  in  March  may  be  heard 
their  exquisite  songs. 

THE    WESTERN    GOLDEN-CROWNED    KINGLET. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper   parts :    decidedly  olivaceous ;    a   golden 
crown. 

Under  parts  :  "  strong  buffy  tinge." 

Length,  3.15  to  4.5  inches. 
Found  in  trees,  often  in  evergreens. 

The  Western  Golden-crowned  Kinglet  differs 


234         Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

from  the  eastern  variety  only  in  having  somewhat 
brighter  colors.  Its  song  is  just  the  same  and 
its  habits  identical.  Like  the  Chickadee,  zero 
weather  has  no  effect  upon  its  cheerful  spirit.  It 
is  as  restless  as  the  Chickadees  and  the  Nut- 
hatches that  it  keeps  company  with.  It  hangs 
upon  the  smallest  twigs,  searching  for  insects. 

In  the  East,  they  do  not  hear  the  Golden- 
crowned  Kinglet's  song,  or  see  its  nest,  except 
*  in  the  northern  parts  of  the  Northern  States  and 
in  the  mountains,  whither  it  goes  in  May.  The 
western  species  undoubtedly  nests  in  parts  of  our 
States,  though  its  nests  are  not  yet  reported. 

Mr.  Brewster  describes  the  song  of  the  bird  as 
beginning  with  a  succession  of  five  or  six  fine 
trills,  high-pitched,  somewhat  faltering  notes, 
and  ending  with  a  short,  rapid,  rather  explosive 
warble.  The  song  is  out  of  proportion  to  the 
bird's  size.  It  is  an  attractive  little  singer;  but 
does  not  equal  its  relative  the  Ruby-crowned 
Kinglet,  in  this  important  respect. 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male  :  Head,  neck, 
back  and  rump,  bright  olive  ;  wings  and  tail,  slightly 
dusky,  margined  with  olive-green;  breast  and  under 
parts,  brownish-buffy ;  center  of  crown,  intense  orange. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        235 

bordered  with  bright  yellow,   enclosed  by  black  line; 
white  line  over  the  eye. 

Female :  Similar,  but  center  of  crown,  lemon-yellow, 
and  grayish  underneath. 

Permanent  resident. 

THE   RUBY-CROWNED   KINGLET. 

GENERAL  DESCRIPTION  : 

Upper  parts :  generally  the  same  in  color  as,  but 

a  little  duller  than,  the  golden-crowned  Kinglet. 

Under  parts  :  light  yellowish-gray ;  vermilion-red 

crown,  usually  concealed. 
Length,  3.75  to  4.6  inches. 
Found  generally  distributed. 

The  habits  of  this  bird  are  nearly  identical 
with  those  of  the  Golden-crowned  Kinglet,  but 
he  is  a  superior  singer.  His  song  is  a  marvel 
of  beauty  and  strength ;  he  is  always  generous 
with  it,  even  in  winter  pouring  his  sweet  notes 
upon  the  cold  air,  perhaps  in  memory  of  past,  or 
in  contemplation  of  future,  love  and  home. 

Dr.  Coues  (one  of  America's  greatest  bird- 
students)  remarks,  concerning  the  phenomenal 
strength  of  the  song  of  this  little  bird  :  "  The 
sound-producing  organ  is  not  larger  than  a  pin- 
head,  and  the  muscles  that  move  it  are  almost 


2  36        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

microscopic  shreds  of  flesh,  yet  its  song  may  be 
heard  two  hundred  yards":  and  "the  Kinglet's 
exquisite  vocalization  defies  description." 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION.  —  Male :  Head,  neck  and 
back,  grayish-olive ;  crown-spot,  bright  "  scarlet-ver- 
milion,'* usually  concealed,  no  enclosing  colors ;  a  fine 
white  ring  around  the  eye ;  two  whitish  wing-bars ; 
breast  and  abdomen,  yellowish-gray. 

Female :  Similar,  but  without  vermilion  crest. 

Partly  a  permanent  resident. 


CHAPTER  VI. 
UPON  IMPORTED  SONG  BIRDS. 

IN  1889  and  again  in  1892,  some  of  the  Ger- 
man-American citizens  of  Portland,  with  char- 
acteristic poetic  taste  and  love  of  Nature,  and 
out  of  affectionate  remembrance  of  associations 
in  the  Fatherland,  secured  the  importation  of 
several  varieties  of  their  native  song-birds. 

The  Skylark,  as  we  have  seen,  is  one  of  these, 
and  it  alone  has  repaid  and  will  increasingly,  in 
all  time  to  come,  repay  the  cost  and  the  trouble 
incurred  in  settling  the  stranger  songsters  upon 
the  Pacific  coast.  The  author,  however,  sympa- 
thizes to  some  extent  with  the  great  body  of 
ornithologists  in  this  country  who  do  not  believe 
in  taking  birds  from  the  environment  which 
formed  them  and  placing  them  in  another.  It 
seems  to  be  a  violation  of  natural  and  aesthetic 
laws.  Again,  another  imported  bird  besides 
the  English  Sparrow,  the  Starling,  has  already 
become  harmful  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  where  it 


238        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

has  been  breeding  and  multiplying  now  for  some 
time. 

The  birds  introduced  and  released  in  the  vicin- 
ity of  Portland  included  two  varieties  of  Thrushes, 
one  variety  of  Goldfinch,  one  of  the  Starling  fam- 
ily, Nightingales,  Crossbills  and  others. 

Of  these,  only  the  Skylark  and  Starling  are 
sufficiently  in  evidence  to  make  it  possible  for 
me  to  bear  personal  witness  to  their  presence. 
And  I  find  that  no  one  of  the  careful  and  con- 
stant observers  in  and  about  Portland,  who  are 
making  ornithology  a  study,  has  seen  any  other 
than  the  two  above-mentioned  birds. 

Our  German  friends,  however,  who  are  of 
course  more  interested,  report  the  presence  of 
the  European  Goldfinch  in  the  groves  and  or- 
chards about  Portland  ;  also  of  the  Song  Thrush 
in  certain  gulches,  and  the  Black  Thrush  in  the 
neighborhood. 

The  Skylark  has  been  fully  treated  under  its 
name  in  its  proper  place  in  this  book. 

THE   STARLING. 

"  The  Starling,"  unlike  any  of  the  birds  related 
to  it  in  this  country,  lives  and  nests  in  buildings 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        339 

and  not  in  trees, —  and  in  buildings  in  cities, 
moreover,  which  seems  quite  strange  to  us.  It 
is,  however,  only  a  proof  of  what  change  in  the 
habits  of  birds  is  wrought  by  civilization.  It  is 
difficult  to  say  what  our  own  birds  may  do  in  the 
future,  when  Americans  have  won  back  the  con- 
fidence of  our  now  truly  "  wild  "  birds.  In  this 
spring  of  1901,  the  Starlings  may  be  seen  around 
the  top  of  the  tower  on  the  Perkins  Hotel  in 
Portland,  nesting  in  the  gilded  ornaments  on 
either  end,  and  also  about  the  Blagen  Block, 
First  and  Couch  streets,  nesting  in  perpendicu- 
lar holes  just  over  each  of  the  two  ornamental 
heads  on  the  west  face  of  the  structure. 

The  careless  observer  would  take  these  Star- 
lings for  "just  Blackbirds."  But  though  Black- 
birds in  appearance,  they  belong  to  a  family  of 
their  own  and  must  be  recognized  as  such. 
The  principal  distinctive  mark  in  this  Starling 
in  summer  time  is  its  yellow  bill,  which  even  the 
indifferent  will  notice  when  once  their  attention 
is  called  to  it. 

The  difference  between  the  summer  and  the 
winter  plumage  in  the  Starlings  is  very  marked. 
In  the  spring  it  is  quite  black,  and  in  the  winter 


240        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

decidedly  mottled.      The  difference  is  indicated 
in  the  following 

DESCRIPTION. — Adult :  Summer  plumage,  both  sexes 
alike;  head,  neck,  breast  and  abdomen,  iridescent  black  ; 
wings  and  under  tail-coverts,  spotted  buff  and  mottled ; 
tail,  rather  short  and  brownish  ;  bill,  yellow. 

Winter  plumage  :  Male  :  Black,  spotted  with  white  all 
over.  Female  :  Dark  brownish,  spotted  liberally  with 
buffy;  bill,  black. 

If  those  who  have  this  book  should  come 
across  either  of  the  Thrushes  or  the  Goldfinch, 
the  following  descriptions  will  help  them  to 
identify  the  birds.  It  is  not  impossible  that  some 
of  the  foreign  varieties  released  about  Portland 
may  be  found  far  from  that  point. 


THE   SONG  THRUSH. 

DESCRIPTION.  —  Head,  back,  wings  and  tail,  darkish 
brown ;  throat,  breast  and  sides,  whitish,  well  spotted 
with  brown.  Female  :  Lighter  in  upper  parts. 

Length,  8.5  inches. 

This  Thrush  resembles  the  Wood  Thrush  of 
the  Eastern  States. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        24 1 

THE   BLACK  THRUSH. 

DESCRIPTION.  —  Male  :  Black  all  over,  like  Blackbird, 
but  with  whitish  bill.  Female :  Sooty  above ;  throat, 
mottled  white  and  brown ;  breast,  light  and  dark  brown. 

Length,  II  inches. 

THE   EUROPEAN  GOLDFINCH. 

DESCRIPTION.  —  A  circle  of  red  around  bill,  extending 
up  to  crown  and  under  throat ;  lores,  black,  and  black 
around  eye ;  white  collar  around  neck ;  back,  brown ; 
wings  and  tail,  black ;  breast,  buffy-brown ;  abdomen, 
whitish.  Female  :  Lower  breast,  whitish. 

Length,  about  5  inches. 


CHAPTER   VII. 
How  TO  DOMESTICATE  AND  TAME  BIRDS. 

EVERYBODY  enjoys  the  familiar  presence  of 
"  wild  "  birds.  Even  persons  who  have  never 
thought  much  of  these  winged  creatures  are 
pleased  when  the  Wrens  or  Bluebirds  force 
themselves  into  notice  by  nesting  in  the  letter- 
box at  the  gate,  or  pre-empting  a  cranny  under 
the  piazza,  roof. 

People  do  not  realize  that,  with  a  very  little 
trouble,  they  might  have  a  hundred  bird-neigh- 
bors in  summer,  where  now  there  are  none,  or 
only  a  pair  or  two,  who  have  come  uninvited  and 
unprovided  for.  Every  home  in  the  country  or 
near  our  cities,  and  very  many  in  the  towns,  and 
even  in  the  cities  themselves,  might  have,  with 
each  coming  of  spring,  a  score  of  feathered 
friends,  returning  from  a  far-away  southern 
wintering. 

Nothing  so  civilizes  and  humanizes  children  as 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        243 

this  care  and  interest.  In  Worcester,  Mass.,  in 
one  district  where  the  care  and  protection  of 
birds  have  been  taught  to  and  inspired  in  the 
children  of  a  public  school,  vandalism  has  ceased 
among  the  boys.  They  are  busy  providing  bird- 
boxes,  watching  for  nests  in  the  trees,  guarding 
the  fledglings  against  cats,  etc.,  and  their  hearts 
have  softened  meanwhile.  Were  it  only  a  meas- 
ure for  taming  and  civilizing  boys,  the  taming  of 
birds  would  be  worth  while. 

But  what  a  ministry  of  delight  do  these  angels 
of  song  and  grace  bring  to  old  and  young,  when 
once  we  have  taken  them  under  our  care !  "  Let 
but  a  bird  —  that  being  so.  free  and  uncontrolled, 
which  with  one  stroke  of  the  wing  puts  space 
between  you  and  himself  —  let  him  but  be  willing 
to  draw  near  and  conclude  a  friendship  with  you, 
and  lo,  how  your  heart  is  moved!"  —  Mme. 
Michelet. 

As  remarked  in  another  place  in  this  book, 
song-birds  seek  the  company,  the  protection  and 
the  friendship  of  man.  And  when  these  are 
given,  the  birds  sing  and  fly  with  a  freedom,  con- 
fidence, and  even  affection,  that  are  impossible 
while  they  live  near  us  in  fear  and  suspicion. 


244        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

John  Burroughs  says  of  the  English  birds  which 
are  thus  loved  and  cared  for :  "  They  sing  with 
more  confidence  and  copiousness,  and  as  if  they, 
too,  had  been  touched  by  civilization."  He  also 
says,  "  Wood  birds  here  (America)  are  house  and 
garden  birds  there  (England).'* 

With  reference  to  nest -building,  there  are  two 
sorts  of  birds  anxious  to  live  with  and  near  us. 
In  the  first  place,  those  that  want  to  share  our 
home  or  our  outbuildings,  or  who  look  for  some 
box  provided  hard  by  our  door.  The  other 
sort  are  the  birds  which,  if  encouraged  and  pro- 
tected, would  seek  our  vines,  shrubs  and  trees 
for  their  nesting. 

What  can  we  do  to  bring  these  little  creatures 
to  our  homes  ? 

There  are  several  varieties  of  birds  that  search 
out  places  for  nesting  under  piazza  roofs,  in 
boxes,  about  the  eaves  and  cornices  of  our 
houses,  or  in  our  barns  :  the  Violet-Green  Swal- 
low, the  Eave  Swallow,  the  Barn  Swallow,  the 
Martin,  the  Bluebird,  the  Parkman's  House 
Wren,  and  sometimes  the  Vigors's  Wren  ;  in 
some  places,  the  Say's  Phoebe,  and  perhaps,  the 
Western  Black  Phoebe. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        245 

As  stated  elsewhere  in  this  book,  the  Violet- 
green  Swallow  is  not  to  be  confused  with  the 
Eave  Swallow  that  seeks  in  companies  to  build 
mud  nests  against  the  house ;  the  former  asks  for 
a  box  in  which  to  rear  its  young.  Even  now, 
as  I  am  writing  this  chapter,  a  pair  of  these 
birds  of  exquisite  color,  perfect  grace  of  move- 
ment, and  even,  I  find,  of  sweet  song,  are  flying 
in  front  of  the  second-story  window  where  I  sit, 
and,  pausing  on  the  wing  in  front  of  me,  seem 
pathetically  begging  me  to  furnish  them  a  home, 
promising  me  full  measure  of  delight  if  I  will 
but  grant  their  evident  prayer. 

Ornamental  boxes  for  the  Violet -green  Swal- 
low may  be  made,  painted  the  color  of  the  house 
and  put  up  under  the  eaves ;  but  ruder  boxes 
are  more  enticing  as  we  shall  see.  Or  again,  these 
birds  may  come  to  a  cluster  of  houses  set  upon 
a  pole  in  the  yard.  It  would  be  better,  however, 
to  reserve  the  nests  upon  the  pole  for  the  Blue- 
birds and  the  Martins. 

I  have  given  a  hint  elsewhere  about  allowing 
the  Eave  Swallows  to  set  their  mud  nests  against 
our  buildings.  True  bird-lovers  will  do  all  they 
can  to  invite  such  neighborliness ;  and  the  use  of 


246        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

a  little  insect-powder  will  not  only  make  impos- 
sible all  annoyance,  but  will  also  help  to  keep 
the  little  birds  clean  and  happy. 

As  to  the  Barn  Swallow,  if  a  hole  is  left  in  the 
gable  of  our  barns,  or  a  window  is  always  left 
open,  and  small  shelves  are  nailed  on  beams  for 
the  nests,  there  is  no  reason  why  this  beautiful 
bird  should  not  take  up  his  residence  more 
generally  in  our  barns  and  to  the  same  extent  on 
the  Pacific  as  on  the  Atlantic  coast. 

The  Western  Martin  and  the  Bluebird  are 
both  fond  of  a  box  on  the  gable  end  of  a  house 
or  barn,  and  of  the  bird-house  upon  a  pole  already 
referred  to.  A  picture  is  here  given  of  a  Mar- 
tin-house in  Worcester,  Mass.,  in  which  nine 
pairs  of  Martins  made  a  happy  home  in  the  sum- 
mer of  1901. 

The  Wrens  can  be  given  their  opportunity  in 
a  corner  under  the  roof  of  porch  or  piazza,  and 
about  our  outbuildings. 

As  to  Bird  Houses  :  I  am  indebted  for  a  good 
part  of  the  following  suggestions  in  this  matter 
to  the  most  admirable  book  of  its  kind  yet  pub- 
lished, "  Our  Native  Birds,  How  to  Protect  and 
Attract  them  to  our  Homes,"  by  D.  Lange, 


Martin  House. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        247 

Superintendent  of  Nature  Study  in  the  public 
schools  of  St.  Paul,  Minnesota. 

Boxes  are  best  when  made  out  of  sections  of 
hollow  trees,  or  limbs,  the  holes  having  a  dia- 
meter of  from  three  to  eight  inches. 

Boxes  made  of  slab-wood  are  next  in  value. 
The  bark  on  the  boxes  seems  to  induce  the  birds 
to  undertake  housekeeping  when  plain  boards 
do  not .  But  the  bark  should  never  be  nailed  on 
boards,  because  in  the  heat  and  rain,  it  warps, 
and  vermin  swarm  beneath  it.  A  fir-bark  roof, 
projecting  on  each  side,  may,  however,  be  put 
upon  a  box  with  advantage,  —  the  curve  in  the 
bark  gives  ventilation,  which  should  be  provided 
in  the  tops  of  all  bird-houses. 

Next  to  slab-wood,  unplaned  or  rough-sawed 
boards  are  best.  If  planed  boards  must  be  used, 
rub  them  with  moist  earth,  or,  if  the  boxes  are 
to  be  used  in  trees  bearing  leaves,  they  may  be 
painted  green. 

The  boxes  should  be  made  of  different  sizes, 
adapted  to  the  several  kinds  of  birds  for  which 
they  are  constructed.  For  Wrens,  let  the  box 
be  7  x  5  x  5  inches  on  the  inside,  with  a  hole,  a 
very  little  larger  than  a  twenty-five-cent  piece, 


248         Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

about  two  inches  from  the  top,  and  a  shelf  a 
little  below  the  entrance.  Bird-boxes  should  be 
deeper  than  they  are  wide,  —  in  this  case,  the 
box  would  be  seven  inches  deep. 

For  Swallows,  the  box  should  be  8x6x6 
inches  ;  location  of  hole  and  shelf,  as  before  ;  size 
of  hole,  one  and  one-half  inches. 

For  Bluebirds,  10  x  6  x  6  ;  entrance,  nearer 
the  bottom;  hole,  2x2^  inches  in  diameter; 
shelf,  if  desired. 

For  Martins,  10  x  8  x  8  ;  entrance,  2^  inches, 
and  near  the  top,  with  or  without  shelf. 

Boxes  in  trees  about  the  house  are  excellent, 
and  Woodpeckers,  Chickadees,  and  Nuthatches 
may  be  added  to  the  domestic  bird-circle. 

A  Wren-box  will  do  for  the  Chickadees  ;  for 
the  Nuthatches,  the  box  should  be  20  x  6  x  6 
(20  inches  deep) ;  entrance  near  the  top,  2x2^ 
inches  ;  no  shelf. 

For  the  Woodpeckers,  the  box  should  be  from 
i  o  to  36  inches  in  depth,  and  from  5  to  7  inches 
square  at  the  base  ;  entrance,  2x4  inches,  and 
near  the  top  ;  no  shelf. 

The  boxes  for  the  Chickadees  should  be  placed 
from  six  to  twelve  feet  from  the  ground  ;  for  the 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington         249 

Nuthatches,  twelve  to  twenty-five  feet ;  for  the 
Woodpeckers,  ten  to  twenty  feet.  And  the 
boxes  for  these  birds  would  serve  best  on  dead, 
or  partly  dead,  trees. 

All  boxes  should  be  put  on  the  east  or  the 
north  side  of  buildings,  or  of  trees,  —  if  the  trees 
are  dead,  away  from  the  prevailing  storms  and 
from  the  noon,  or  afternoon,  sun  which  would 
work  misery  and  death  to  the  young. 

The  houses  must  be  bound  by  strong  wire,  or 
nailed,  or  screwed  solidly,  where  no  twigs  or 
limbs  moved  by  the  wind,  will  strike  them. 
Birds  will  not  stay  in  shaky  or  jostled  boxes. 

In  order  to  secure  the  boxes  to  the  birds  for 
which  they  are  built,  the  English  Sparrow  should 
be  disposed  of  as  kindly  as  possible  —  but  dis- 
posed of  he  must  be.  The  father  of  the  family 
may  best  undertake  this  serious  business.* 

Several  boxes  may  be  placed  upon  one  pole 
by  means  of  arms.  It  is  well  to  set  the  pole 
not  far  from  trees.  Birds  do  not  like  to  fly 

*  A  very  successful  poisoned-food  experiment  has  been  thoroughly 
tried  by  Dr.  C.  F.  Hodge,  of  Clark  University,  Worcester,  Mass. 
The  directions  for  its  preparation  and  use  may  be  obtained  from  the 
John  Burroughs  Bird  Society,  Portland,  Oregon. 

The  recipe  furnished  by  the  Agricultural  Bureau  at  Washington  is 
said,  by  those  who  have  tried  it,  not  to  be  altogether  successful. 


250        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

over  wide,  open,  and  exposed  spaces  to  their 
nests. 

Some  tin  nailed  around  the  pole  which  holds 
the  bird-houses  will  prevent  cats  from  climbing 
to  the  nests,  or  barbed  wire  may  be  bound  about 
tree  or  pole  for  about  a  foot  or  two,  having  the 
barbs  as  thick  as  possible.  If  put  upon  a  grow- 
ing tree,  a  strip  of  wood  should  be  nailed  on 
either  side  of  the  tree-trunk.  These  strips  make 
the  wire  elastic,  and  save  the  cutting  of  the 
bark. 

Never  try  to  clean  out  the,  boxes  between 
seasons.  Leave  this  to  the  birds. 

The  first  condition  for  bringing  many  species 
of  song-birds  to  us  is  that  there  must  be  trees 
and  shrubs  about  our  homes.  If  there  are  not, 
we  must  grow  them.  Two  or  three  trees  in  a 
yard,  dead  or  partially  dead,  are  necessary  to 
some  species  of  birds.  To  save  offense  to  the 
eye,  the  dead  tree  may  be  covered  with  Virginia 
creeper  or  some  other  rapidly  growing  vine. 
Some  evergreens,  spruce,  pine  and  cedar,  are  of 
advantage ;  and  a  variety  of  deciduous  trees, 
some  of  which  have  thick  foliage,  are  a  part  of 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        25  i 

the  bird-equipment.  A  Lombardy  poplar  will 
serve  better  than  any  other  for  certain  nests. 
On  account  of  its  rapid  growth  it  may  be  cut  off 
or  down  occasionally,  to  prevent  its  attaining  an 
awkward  and  undesirable  height. 

More  important  than  trees,  for  some  species 
of  birds,  are  bushes,  with  some  wild  tangle, 
which  may  be  kept  within  bounds  by  the  aid  of 
pruning-knife  and  shears.  No  greater  ornament 
is  now  sought  for  expensive  grounds  and  parks 
than  the  wild  tangle,  which  farmers  cut  down  to 
"  clean  up  "  roadsides  and  around  fences.  Let 
the  tangle  be,  except  for  cutting  back,  unless 
the  ground  is  positively  needed  for  another  pur- 
pose. 

As  to  Feeding  Birds :  Provision  for  bird-food 
must  be  made,  if  they  are  to  live  with  us.  Wild 
trees  and  shrubs  that  bear  berries  must  be  near 
at  hand  for  birds  that  depend  upon  this  kind  of 
food.  Insectivorous  birds  will  find  a  supply  for 
their  young  and  themselves  unless  the  season 
becomes  too  dry,  in  which  case  chopped  meat, 
bits  of  bread,  and  a  little  beef-suet  will  save 
misery,  not  to  say  furnish  happiness. 


252        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

More  important  than  feeding  at  such  a  time, 
and  important  at  all  times,  unless  one's  home  is 
near  a  lake  or  a  running  stream,  is  water. 
Dishes  two  inches  deep  filled  with  water,  stand- 
ing about  on  the  ground  and  changed  often  for 
cleanliness,  should  be  provided.  Dripping  pans, 
painted  inside  and  out  to  keep  them  from  rust- 
ing, are  best.  But  large  flower-pot  saucers  are 
good.  Whatever  is  used  should  be  unglazed,  so 
as  to  give  secure  footing  for  the  birds.  The 
birds  will  drink  and  bathe  even  in  cold  and 
freezing  weather,  if  the  ice  does  not  prevent. 
A  dripping  pan  of  road-dust  for  a  dust-bath, 
should  there  be  none  otherwise  convenient, 
will  be  often  used,  if  provided.  All  wild  birds 
have  more  or  less  vermin  upon  them,  each  hav- 
ing its  own  kind,  and  the  dust-bath  is  their  chief 
defence  against  these  parasites. 

In  summer  time,  it  is  not  well,  under  ordinary 
conditions,  to  feed  the  birds  much,  lest  they  lose 
their  independence  and  suffer  when  they  are  com- 
pelled to  support  themselves.  Enough  feeding 
to  cultivate  friendliness,  is  always  in  order. 
And  in  winter  time,  one  may  indulge  one's  self 
to  the  utmost  limit,  provided  our  feathered  de- 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        253 

pendents  are  not  sometimes  forgotten  when 
"the  cold  snap  "  and  snow  and  ice  make  food 
hardest  to  get,  and  our  supply  of  yesterday  for 
the  birds  is  covered  up,  perhaps. 

For  winter  feeding,  as  indicated  already,  beef- 
suet,  in  small  pieces  (if  large  they  will  soil  the  wings 
and  injure  the  flight  of  the  birds),  may  be  tied 
or  nailed  to  a  limb  ;  or  a  bone  with  meat  upon 
it,  or  a  piece  of  cheese-rind  may  be  tied  in  the 
same  place.  The  limb  may  be  very  near  a 
house.  Indeed  an  evergreen  limb  may  be  cut 
and  fastened  to  the  window-sill  and  hold  the  food. 
Again,  there  may  be  attached  to  the  window-sill 
a  rimmed  shelf  with  chopped  meat,  suet,  nuts 
and  bird-seed  upon  it,  which,  with  a  little  care, 
will  bring  to  our  very  eyes  and  hands,  Chicka- 
dees, Nuthatches,  Juncos  and  other  birds.  Sun- 
flower and  hemp  seeds  are  relished  by  many 
birds  and  will  be  an  excellent  winter  diet.  Let 
the  placing  of  the  food  be  always  associated  with 
a  soft  whistle  or  call,  and  the  birds  will  soon 
come  to  you  as  do  chickens  to  a  human  sum- 
mons. 

But  in  vain  will  be  our  vines  and  trees  and 
tangles,  we  shall  have  no  birds  to  nest  and  none 


254        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

to  feed,  unless  we  give  them  protection  from 
enemies  and  from  annoyance.  Cats,  jays  and 
crows  must  be  kept  from  trespassing. 

Few  of  us  have  any  proper  ideas  of  how  to 
train  and  keep  a  pussy.  Cats  can  be  trained  so 
as  to  be  quite  as  respectful  to  birds  as  to  young 
chickens,  if  the  same,  or  a  little  greater,  trouble 
is  taken.  Most  cats  grow  up  perfectly  obedient 
to  natural  instincts,  and  with  no  sense  of  obe- 
dience to  human  beings.  Few  persons  probably 
take  the  trouble  to  educate  the  family  kitten. 
But  all  may,  with  a  little  effort,  subject  the  cat 
to  a  course  of  discipline  every  year  which  will 
be  wholesome  for  the  cat,  and  will  save  the  lives 
of  scores  of  birds,  old  and  young. 

An  unrestrained  cat  is  as  senseless  in  bird- 
time  as  an  unrestrained  horse  or  cow  would  be 
amongst  growing  crops.  In  these  days  of  cheap 
poultry  wire,  a  commodious  cage  may  easily  be 
made,  in  which  pussy  should  pass  her  nights 
and  such  part  of  the  days,  during  the  nesting- 
season,  as  she  cannot  be  watched.  If  well  fed, 
the  cat  will  not  be  unhappy,  and  she  will  be  a 
more  civilized  member  of  the  family  for  such 
temporary  and  kindly  restraint.  Wild,  vaga- 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        255 

bond  cats  should  be  mercifully  put  out  of  life, 
and  neighbors'  cats  must  be  made  unwelcome. 
Birds  soon  learn  that  we  are  their  friends. 
They  have  been  often  reported  as  coming  to  the 
windows  of  their  human  sympathizers  for  assist- 
ance in  time  of  distress. 

A  word  now  about  cultivating,  with  the  birds, 
an  intimacy  that  will  bring  them  to  our  feet  and 
possibly  to  our  heads  and  hands.  Celia  Thaxter, 
in  "  An  Island  Garden,"  tells  us  how  the  birds 
used  to  rest  on  her  person.  In  the  following 
extract,  she  is  writing  especially  of  the  Hum- 
ming-birds : 

"  I  shall  never  forget  the  surprise  of  joy  that 
filled  me  when  one  for  the  first  time  alighted  on 
my  sleeve  and  rested,  as  much  at  home  as  if  I 
were  a  stick  or  a  harmless  twig.  Sparrows  and 
Nuthatches  had  often  alighted  on  my  head  as  I 
stood  musing  over  my  flowers,  perfectly  still,  but 
to  have  this  tiny  spark  of  brilliant  life  come  to 
anchor,  as  it  were,  on  anything  so  earthly  as  my 
arm  was  indeed  a  nine  days'  wonder.  Now,  it  has 
grown  to  be  an  old  story,  but  it  is  never  any 
less  delightful." 


256        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

This  confidence  was  born  of  the  experience  of 
the  birds  with  this  gentle  woman.  Any  one,  by 
putting  food  down  in  a  certain  place,  in  small 
quantities  at  a  time,  accompanying  the  act  with 
some  soft  and  musical  whistle,  or  low,  soft,  win- 
ning call,  will  soon  be  associated,  in  the  mind  of 
the  bird,  with  the  gift ;  and  if  he  stands  quietly 
and  from  time  to  time  nearer  to  the  birds,  he 
will,  ere  long,  have  them  at  his  feet  and  perhaps 
eating  out  of  his  hand. 

The  story  of  a  young  Cedar  Waxwing  in  Wor- 
cester, Mass.,  will  give  a  hint  as  to  what  may 
be  done  in  all  our  homes.  Overloaded  with 
cherries,  he  was  taken  into  a  bird-lover's  home 
to  be  kept  from  the  cats  till  he  recovered  from 
his  cherry-spree.  Gentle  treatment  made  the 
bird  a  member  of  the  family  in  a  few  hours,  not 
in  a  cage,  but  free  to  go  and  come.  In  two 
pictures  which  I  have  of  him,  he  is  sitting  upon 
a  child's  hand  with  as  perfect  confidence  as  that 
with  which  the  child  would  sit  upon  its  mother's 
lap.  One  of  these  pictures  I  am  enabled  to  give 
the  readers  of  this  book,  through  the  kindness 
of  Dr.  C.  F.  Hodge,  of  Clark  University.  If  the 
fledglings  of 'all  sorts,  that  drop  to  the  ground 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        257 

around  our  homes,  were  taken  in  and  treated 
considerately,  they  would  come  back  in  the  next 
spring's  migration,  much  more  susceptible  to 
our  winning  arts,  bringing  with  them  familiar 
memories  of  our  former  kindness. 

Dr.  Hodge,  who  thus  tamed  the  Waxwing, 
gives  us  the  suggestion  of  a  way  to  save  grown 
birds  the  agony  of  fear  which  they  usually  en- 
dure when,  out  of  kindness,  taken  into  tempo- 
rary captivity.  Put  the  birds  in  a  suitable  cage, 
provided  with  a  little  food  and  water,  if  they 
can  feed  themselves.  Wait  until  the  food  is 
gone,  then  begin  to  feed  them,  using  a  stick 
which  should  be  long  enough  not  to  frighten 
them  by  your  too  close  presence  at  the  cage. 
Upon  the  end  of  the  stick,  place  the  most  tempt- 
ting  food  (meal-worms  for  nearly  all  birds),  and 
slowly  put  it  before  them ;  after  even  a  time  or 
two,  you  may  hold  the  stick  near  the  feeding- 
end,  and  soon  your  hand  may  carry  the  food,  and 
before  you  are  quite  ready  for  it,  the  cage  being 
opened,  the  bird  will  go  to  meet  you. 

All  birds,  in  temporary  captivity,  that  can  feed 
themselves,  will  be  somewhat  older  than  mere 
fledglings.  The  latter  never  feed  themselves, 


258         Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

and  will  be  entirely  dependent  upon  the  food 
placed  in  their  gaping  mouths.  Young  birds, 
apparently  grown  and  able  to  pick  up  their  own 
nourishment,  may  not  yet  have  learned  to  do  it. 
If  the  birds  are  only  fledglings  with  wide-open 
mouths,  they  must  be  fed  every  hour  in  day- 
light, with  suitable  food,  and  given  water  occa- 
sionally. 

What  joy-giving  rewards  will  come  from  such 
a  ministry  to  fledglings  and  injured  birds,  Dr. 
Hodge  bears  witness.  In  these  pages,  he  gener- 
ously furnishes  two  pictures  of  "  Bob,"  a  young 
robin,  that,  until  it  left  for  its  Southern  winter 
home,  would  come  at  call  and  alight  upon  the  hand 
of  the  friends  whom  it  had  learned  to  know. 
In  one  of  the  pictures,  it  is  standing  on  the  hand 
of  Dr.  Hodge's  son,  who,  when  he  was  younger, 
held  the  Waxwing  (before  described);  in  -the 
other,  it  has  the  company  of  a  fledgling  upon  the 
hand  of  the  young  woman  who  kindly  permits 
the  use  of  the  picture.  "  Bob  "  started  South 
in  the  autumn  of  1901,  with  a  ring  upon  one  of 
his  legs,  put  there  by  Dr.  Hodge,  to  identify 
him  upon  his  return,  which  is  certain  to  take 
place  unless  accident  should  prevent. 


Boy  and  Robin  (" 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        259 

Dr.  Hodge  gives  a  charge  which  must  be 
strictly  observed  if  we  are  to  keep  the  confi- 
dence of  the  birds  thus  tamed.  They  must  not 
be  handled ;  neither  at  first,  nor  even  after  they 
sit  upon  our  arms  or  rest  upon  our  shoulders. 
Dr.  Hodge  relates  that  the  Wax  wing,  even  after 
a  long  period  of  familiarity,  could  not  endure 
this  demonstration,  except  once  or  twice,  when 
very  cold.  Our  human  disposition  to  seize  every 
moving  and  wild  thing,  not  harmful,  must  be  re- 
strained. The  cage,  of  course,  should  be  abol- 
ished as  soon  as  the  bird  comes  freely  to  us, 
that  he  may  come  and  go,  through  open  windows 
and  doors,  as  he  will.  It  will  be  interesting  to 
those  who  read  this  chapter  to  know  that  the 
Waxwing  became  a  bird-missionary  in  all  of  the 
public  schools  of  Worcester,  Mass.,  visiting  each 
in  turn,  and,  by  his  free  presence,  pleading  that 
such  treatment  as  he  had  received  might  be 
given  to  all  birds  by  all  children.  As  a  result, 
Worcester  is  perhaps  the  banner  city  in  the 
United  States  in  the  protection  and  rearing  of 
wild  birds. 

One  of  the  charming  things  in  the  rearing  of 


260        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

wild  birds  about  our  homes  is  their  looked-for 
return  in  the  spring.  The  same  birds  will  re- 
turn to  our  bird-houses  and  trees,  from  year  to 
year,  unless  something  should  befall  them  in 
their  winter  home  or  during  migration. 

"No  longer  now  the  winged  habitants, 
That  in  the  woods  their  sweet  lives  sing  away, 
Flee  from  the  form  of  man ;  but  gather  round, 
And  preen  their  sunny  feathers  on  the  hands 
Which  little  children  stretch  in  friendly  sport 
Towards  these  dreadless  partners  of  their  play." 

— Shelley. 


SIZE  KEY 

GROUP  1  —  Birds  smaller  than  the  English  Sparrow 
(or  apparently  so). 

Black-chinned  Humming-        Black-throated  Gray 


bird. 

Rufous  Hummingbird. 
Allen's  Hummingbird. 
Calliope  Hummingbird. 
Redpoll. 

Willow  Goldfinch. 
Arkansas  Goldfinch. 
European  Goldfinch 

(imported). 
Pine  Siskin. 

Western  Chipping  Sparrow. 
Lazuli  Bunting. 
Warbling  Vireo. 
Cassin's  Vireo. 
Lutescent  Warbler. 
Yellow  Warbler. 
Myrtle  Warbler. 
Audubon's  Warbler. 


Warbler. 

Pacific  Yellow-throat. 
Pileolated  Warbler. 
Northwestern  Vigors's 

Wren. 

Parkman's  Wren. 
Western  Winter  Wren. 
Tule  Wren. 
Sierra  Creeper. 
Slender-billed  Nuthatch. 
Red-breasted  Nuthatch. 
Oregon  Chickadee. 
Chestnut-backed 

Chickadee. 
Coast  Wren-Tit. 
Bush-Tit. 
Western  Golden-crowned 

Kinglet. 


Ruby-crowned  Kinglet. 

GROUP  2  —  Birds  about  the  size  of  the  English 

Sparrow  (or  apparently  so). 

Least  Sandpiper.  Western  Lark  Sparrow. 

Western  Sandpiper.  Gambel's  White-crowned 

Western  Wood  Pewee.  Sparrow. 

261 


262        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 


Western  Flycatcher. 
Traill's  Flycatcher. 
California  Purple  Finch. 
American  Crossbill. 
Snowflake. 


NuttalPs  White-crowned 

Sparrow. 
Oregon  Junco. 
Rusty  Song  Sparrow. 
Macgillivray's  Warbler. 


Oregon  Vesper  Sparrow.          Titlark,  or  American  Pipit. 
Western  Savanna  Sparrow.      Rock  Wren. 


GROUPS  — Birds  larger  than  the  English  Sparrow, 
and  smaller  than  the  Robin  (or  apparently  so). 


Northern  Phalarope. 

Red-backed  Sandpiper. 

California  Pygmy  Owl. 

Gairdner's  Woodpecker. 

Red-breasted  Sapsucker. 

Poorwill. 

Black  Swift. 

Vaux's  Swift. 

The  Kingbird. 

Arkansas  Kingbird. 

Say's  Phoebe. 

Western  Black  Phoebe. 

Olive-sided  Flycatcher. 

Skylark. 

Streaked  Horned  Lark. 

Dusky  Horned  Lark. 

Starling. 

Red-winged  Blackbird. 


Golden-crowned  Sparrow. 
Townsend's  Sparrow. 
Oregon  Towhee,  or 

Chewink. 

Black-headed  Grosbeak. 
Louisiana  Tanager. 
Western  Martin. 
Cliff  Swallow. 
Barn  Swallow. 
Tree  Swallow. 
Violet-green  Swallow. 
Bank  Swallow. 
Rough-winged  Swallow. 
Cedar  Waxwing. 
Long-tailed  Chat. 
Water  Ouzel,  or  American 

Dipper. 
Sage  Thrasher. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        263 

Bullock's  Oriole.  Russet-backed  Thrush. 

Western  Evening  Western  Bluebird. 

Grosbeak.  Mountain  Bluebird. 


GROUP  4  —  Birds  about  the  size  of  the  Robin 

(or  apparently  so). 

Black  Tern.  Western  Nighthawk. 

Killdeer.  Yellow-headed  Blackbird. 

Mourning  Dove.  Bicolored  Blackbird. 

Desert  Sparrow-Hawk.  Western  Meadowlark. 

Burrowing  Owl.  Brewer's  Blackbird. 

Harris's  Woodpecker.  Varied  Thrush,  or  Varied 

Californian  Woodpecker.  Robin. 

GROUP  5 —  Birds  larger  than  the  Robin. 
Pacific  Kittiwake.  MacFarlane's  Screech  Owl. 

Bonaparte's  Gull.  California  Cuckoo. 

Arctic  Tern.  Belted  Kingfisher. 

Band-tailed  Pigeon.  Lewis's  Woodpecker. 

Sharp-shinned  Hawk.  Red-shafted  Flicker. 

Pigeon-Hawk.  Northwestern  Flicker. 

Black  Merlin.  California  Jay. 

Kennicott's  Screech  Owl.         Gray  Jay. 
Pinon  Jay. 

GROUP  6—  Birds  much  larger  than  the  Robin. 
Glaucus-winged  Gull.  Ferruginous  Rough-legged 

Western  Gull.  Hawk. 

American  Herring  Gull.  Golden  Eagle. 


264        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

California  Gull.  Bald  Eagle. 

Ring-billed  GuU.  American  Osprey,  or  Fish- 
Short-billed  Gull.  Hawk. 

American  Bittern.  Short-eared,  or  Marsh  Owl. 

Great  Blue  Heron.  Dusky  Horned  Owl. 

Green  Heron.  Northern    Pileated    Wood- 
Marsh-Hawk,  pecker. 

Cooper's  Hawk.  American  Magpie. 

Western  Red-tailed  Hawk.  Steller's  Jay. 

Swainson's  Hawk.  American  Raven. 

American  Rough-legged  American  Crow. 

Hawk.  Northwest  Crow. 
Clarke's  Nutcracker. 


COLOR   KEY.* 

BLUE  AND  BLUISH. 

Lazuli  Bunting  (2).  Pifion  Jay  (5). 

Western  Bluebird  (3).  Glaucus-winged  Gull  (6). 

Mountain  Bluebird  (3).  American  Herring  Gull  (6). 

Mourning  Dove  .(5).  California  Gull  (6). 

Belted  Kingfisher  (5).  Ring-billed  Gull  (6). 

California  Jay  (5).  Great  Blue  Heron  (6). 

Gray  Jay  (5).  Band-tailed  Pigeon  (6). 

Steller's  Jay  (6). 

*  The  birds  in  this  Color  Key  are  arranged  according  to  size,  the 
numbers  at  the  right  showing  to  which  group  in  the  Size  Key  they 
belong. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        265 

PEARL  COLOR. 

Pacific  Kittiwake  (5).  Arctic  Tern  (5). 

Bonaparte's  Gull  (5).  Short-billed  Gull  (6). 

LEAD  COLOR. 

Northern  Phalarope  (3).  Black  Tern  (4). 

Western  Gull  (6). 

MARKEDLY  RED  OF  ANY  SHADE. 

Rufous  Hummingbird  (i).  Red-winged  Blackbird  (3). 

Allen's  Hummingbird  (i).  Bullock's  Oriole  (3.) 

Calliope  Hummingbird  (i).  Louisiana  Tanager  (3). 

Redpoll  (i).  Californian  Woodpecker 
European  Goldfinch  (i).  (4). 

California  Purple  Finch (2).  Bicolored  Blackbird  (4). 

American  Crossbill  (2).  Western  Robin  (4). 

Red-backed  Sandpiper  (3).  Red-shafted  Flicker  (5). 

Red-breasted  Sapsucker  (3).  Northwestern  Flicker  (5). 

Ferruginous  Rough-legged  Hawk  (6). 

MARKEDLY  YELLOW,  OR  ORANGE. 

Willow  Goldfinch  (i).  Western     Evening     Gros- 
Arkansas  Goldfinch  (i).  beak  (3). 

Lutescent  Warbler  (i).  Yellow-headed  Blackbird 
Yellow  Warbler  (i).  (4). 

Audubon's  Warbler  (i).  Western  Meadowlark  (4). 

Pacific  Yellow-throat  (i).  Varied  Thrush,  or  Varied 
Pileolated  Warbler  (i).  Robin  (4). 

Long-tailed  Chat  (3).  American  Bittern  (6). 


266        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

MARKEDLY  BLACK. 

Black-chinned    Humming-  Black-headed  Grosbeak 

bird  (i).  (3). 

Black-throated  Gray  War-  Yellow-headed  Blackbird 

bier  (i).  (4). 

Black  Swift  (3).  Bicolored  Blackbird  (4). 

Vaux's  Swift  (3).  Brewer's  Blackbird  (4). 

Western  Black  Phoebe  (3).  Black  Thrush  (Imported) 
Starling  (3).  (4). 

Red-winged  Blackbird  (3).  American  Raven  (6). 

Oregon  Towhee  (3).  American  Crow  (6). 

Western  Martin  (3).  Northwest  Crow  (6). 

BLACK  AND  WHITE. 
Gairdner's  Woodpecker  Californian  Woodpecker 

(3).  (4). 

Harris's  Woodpecker  (4).         American  Magpie  (6). 
Clarke's  Nutcracker  (6). 

DUSKY,  GRAY,  OR  SLATY. 

Myrtle  Warbler  (i).  Western  Flycatcher  (2). 

Audubon's  Warbler  (i).  Traill's  Flycatcher  (2). 

Slender-billed  Nuthatch  Oregon  Junco  (2). 

(i).  Macgillivray's  Warbler  (2). 

Red-breasted  Nuthatch  The  Kingbird  (3). 

(i).  Arkansas  Kingbird  (3). 

Bush-Tit  (i).  Olive-sided  Flycatcher  (3). 

Western  Wood  Pewee  (2).  Water  Ouzel  (3). 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        267 

REDDISH-BROWN,  DARK  BROWN,  OR  BROWNISH- 
BLACK. 

Sierra  Creeper  (i).  Killdeer  (4). 

Chestnut-backed     Chicka-  Desert  Sparrow-Hawk  (4). 

dee  (i).  Western  Nighthawk  (4). 

Coast  Wren-Tit  (i).  Black  Merlin  (5). 

Least  Sandpiper  (2).  Green  Heron  (6). 

Western  Sandpiper  (2).  Western  Red-tailed  Hawk 
Snowflake  (2).  (6). 

Rusty  Song  Sparrow  (2).  Ferruginous  Rough -legged 
Red-backed  Sandpiper  (3).  Hawk  (6). 

California  Pygmy  Owl  (3).  Golden  Eagle  (6). 

Cedar  Waxwing  (3).  Bald  Eagle  (6). 

Russet-backed  Thrush  (3).  American  Osprey  (6). 

Song  Thrush  (Imported)  (3).  Marsh  Owl  (6). 
Dusky  Horned  Owl  (6). 

MARKEDLY  DARK. 

Oregon  Chickadee  (i).  Bank  Swallow  (3). 

Western  Black  Phoebe  (3).  Rough-winged  Swallow 
Cliff,  or  Eave  Swallow  (3).  (3). 

Barn  Swallow  (3).  Lewis's  Woodpecker  (5). 

Tree,  or  White-bellied  Northern   Pileated  Wood- 
Swallow  (3).  pecker  (6). 

GREEN,  OLIVE,  OR  OLIVE-GRAY. 

Warbling  Vireo  (i)  Western     Golden-crowned 

Cassin's  Vireo  (i).  Kinglet  (i). 

Ruby-crowned  Kinglet  (i).      Violet-green  Swallow  (3). 

Green  Heron  (6). 


268        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 


BROWN,  BROWNISH,  GRAYISH,  OR  SPARROWISH- 
GRAY. 


Pine  Siskin  (i). 

Western    Chipping    Spar- 
row (i). 

Northwestern  Vigors's 
Wren  (i). 

Parkman's  Wren  (i). 

Western  Winter  Wren  (i). 

Tuld  Wren  (i). 

English  Sparrow  (2). 

Oregon  Vesper  Sparrow 

(2). 

Western  Savanna  Sparrow 

(2). 

Western  Lark  Sparrow  (2). 
Gambel's  Sparrow  (2). 
NuttalPs  Sparrow  (2). 
Titlark,  or  American  Pipit 

(2). 

Rock  Wren  (2). 
Poorwill  (3). 

Swainson's 


Say's  Phoebe  (3). 
Skylark  (3). 

Streaked  Horned  Lark  (3). 
Golden-crowned  Sparrow 

(3). 

Townsend's  Sparrow  (3). 
Sage  Thrasher  (3). 
Pigeon-Hawk  (4). 
Burrowing  Owl  (4). 
Dusky  Horned  Lark  (4). 
Kennicott's  Screech  Owl 

(5). 
MacFarlane's  Screech  Owl 

(5). 

Sharp-shinned  Hawk  (5). 
Cooper's  Hawk  (5). 
California  Cuckoo  (5). 
Marsh-Hawk  (6). 
American  Rough-legged 

Hawk  (6). 
Hawk  (6). 


BIRDS   GROUPED   IN  FAMILIES. 
SCIENTIFIC  ORDER. 

ORDER  —  LONGIPENNES.     (Long-twinged 

Swimmers?) 

FAMILY  —  LARID^E.     (Gulls  and  Terns.) 
Pacific  Kittiwake.    (Rissa  tridactyla  pollicaris.)     Ridgw. 
Glaucus-winged  Gull.     (Larus  glaucescens.)     Naum. 
Western  Gull.     (Larus  occidentalis.)     Aud. 
American  Herring  Gull.     (Larus   argentatus  smithsoni- 

anus.)     Coues. 

California  Gull.     (Larus  californicus.)     Lawr. 
Ring-billed  Gull.     (Larus  delawarensis.)     Ord. 
Short-billed  Gull.     (Larus  brachyrhynchus.)     Rich. 
Bonaparte's  Gull.     (Larus  Philadelphia.)     (Ord.) 
Arctic  Tern.     (Sterna  paradisasa.)     Briinn. 
Black  Tern.     (Hydrochelidon  nigra  surinamensis.) 

(Gmel.) 

ORDER  —  HERODIONES.     (Herons,   Storks, 
Ibises,  etc.) 

FAMILY  —  ARDEID.E.     (Herons,  Bitterns,  etc.) 
American  Bittern.     (Botaurus  lentiginosus.)     (Montag.) 
Great  Blue  Heron.     (Ardea  herodias.)     Linn. 
Green  Heron.     (Ardea  virescens.)     Linn. 

269 


2/o        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

ORDER  —  LIMICOL.E.     (Shore  Birds.) 
FAMILY  —  PHALAROPODID.E.     (Phalaropes.) 
Northern  Phalarope.     (Phalaropus  lobatus.)     (Linn.) 

FAMILY —  SCOLOPACID^E.     (Snipes,  Sandpipers,  etc.} 

Least  Sandpiper.     (Tringa  minutilla.)     Vieill. 
Red-backed  Sandpiper.  (Tringa  alpina  pacifica.)  (Coues.) 
Western  Sandpiper.     (Ereunetes  occidentalis.)     Lawr. 

FAMILY  —  CHARADRIID^:.     (Plovers^ 
Killdeer.     (^gialitis  vocifera.)     (Linn.) 

ORDER  —  COLUMB.E.     (Pigeons?) 

FAMILY.  —  COLUMBIDVE.     (Pigeons.) 
Band-tailed  Pigeon.     (Columba  fasciata.)     Say. 
Mourning  Dove,  or  Turtle  Dove.     (Zenaidura  macroura.) 
(Linn.) 

ORDER — RAPTORES.     (Vultures,    Ha^vks,   and 

Owls.) 
FAMILY  —  FALCON ID^E,     (Vultures,    Falcons,    Hawks, 

Eagles,  etc.) 

Marsh-Hawk.     (Circus  hudsonius.)     (Linn.) 
Sharp-shinned  Hawk.     (Accipiter  velox.)     (Wils.) 
Cooper's  Hawk.     (Accipiter  cooperii.)     (Bonap.) 
Western   Red-tailed    Hawk.     (Buteo    borealis  calurus.) 
(Cass.) 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        271 

Swainson's  Hawk.     (Buteo  swainsoni.)     Bonap. 
American    Rough-legged    Hawk.     (Archibuteo   lagopus 

sancti-johannis.)     (Gmel.) 
Ferruginous  Rough-legged  Hawk.     (Archibuteo  ferrugi- 

neus.)     (Licht.) 

Golden  Eagle.     (Aquila  chrysaetos.)     (Linn.) 
Bald  Eagle.     (Haliaeetus  leucocephalus.)     (Linn.) 
Pigeon-Hawk.     (Falco  columbarius.)     Linn. 
Black  Merlin.     (Falco  columbarius  suckleyi.)     Ridgw. 
Desert   Sparrow-Hawk.     (Falco  sparverius  deserticolus.) 

Mearns. 
Fish-Hawk,  or  American   Osprey.     (Pandion  haliaetus 

carolinensis.)     (Gmel.) 

FAMILY  —  BUBONID^:.     (Horned  Owls,  etc.) 
Short-eared,  or  Marsh  Owl,     (Asio  accipitrinus.)     (Pall.) 
Kennicott's  Screech  Owl.     (Megascops  asio  kennicottii.) 

(Elliot.) 
MacFarlane's  Screech  Owl.     (Megascops  asio    macfar- 

lanei.)     Brewst. 
Dusky    Horned    Owl.      (Bubo    virginianus    saturatus.) 

Ridgw. 

Burrowing  Owl.  (Speotyto  cunicularia  hypogaea.)  (Bonap.) 
California   Pygmy  Owl.     (Glaucidium   gnoma  californi- 

cum.)     (Scl.) 

ORDER  —  COCCYGES.  (Cuckoos  and  Kingfishers.} 

FAMILY  —  CUCULID^E.     (Cuckoos,  Anis,  etc.) 
California  Cuckoo.     (Coccyzus  americanus  occidentalis.) 
RidgWo 


272        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

FAMILY  —  ALCEDINID^E.     (Kingfishers.) 
Belted  Kingfisher.     (Ceryle  alcyon.)     (Linn.) 

ORDER  —  PICI.     (  Woodpeckers^ 

FAMILY  —  PICID.E.     ( Woodpeckers.) 

Harris's    Woodpecker.       (Dryobates   villosus    harrisii.) 

(Aud.) 
Gairdner's  Woodpecker.     (Dryobates  pubescens  gaird- 

nerii.)     (Aud.) 

Red-breasted  Sapsucker.     (Sphyrapicus  ruber.)     (Gmel.) 
Northern    Pileated  Woodpecker.     (Ceophloeus   pileatus 

abieticola.)     Bangs. 
Californian    Woodpecker.       (Melanerpes    formicivorus 

bairdi.)     Ridgw. 

Lewis's  Woodpecker.    (Melanerpes  torquatus.)    (Wilson.) 
Red-shafted  Flicker.     (Colaptes  cafer  collaris.)     (Vig.) 
Northwestern     Flicker.       (Colaptes     cafer    saturatior.) 

(Ridgw.) 

ORDER  —  MACROCHIRES.     (Goatsuckers -,  Swifts, 

and  Hummingbirds^) 
FAMILY  —  CAPRIMULGID^E.     (Goatsuckers) 
Poorwill.       (Phalasnoptilus  nuttallii.)     (Aud.) 
Western  Nighthawk.      (Chordeiles  virginianus  henryi.) 
(Cass.) 

FAMILY  —  MICROPODID^E.     {Swifts.) 
Black  Swift.     (Cypseloides  niger  borealis.)     (Kennedy.) 
Vaux's  Swift.      (Chaetura  vauxii.)     (Towns.) 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        273 
FAMILY  —  TROCHILID.E.     (Hummingbirds) 

Black-chinned    Hummingbird.     (Trochilus  alexandri.) 

Bourc  and  Muls. 

Rufous  Hummingbird.     (Selasphorus  rufus.)     (Gmel.) 
Allen's  Hummingbird.     (Selasphorus  alleni.)     Hensh. 

Calliope  Hummingbird.     (Stellula  calliope.)  Gould. 

ORDER  —  PASSERES.     (Perching  Birds.] 

FAMILY  —  TYR  ANNID.E.     (Flycatchers.) 

The  Kingbird.     (Tyrannus  tyrannus.)     (Linn.) 
Arkansas,  or  Western  Kingbird.     (Tyrannus  verticalis.) 

Say. 

Say's  Phoebe.     (Sayornis  saya.)     (Bonap.) 
Western  Black  Phoebe.     (Sayornis  nigricans  semiatra.) 

(Vig.) 

Olive-sided  Flycatcher.     (Contopus  borealis.)     (Swains.) 
Western     Wood     Pewee.        ( Contopus     richardsonii.) 

(Swains.) 

Western  Flycatcher.     (Empidonax  difficilis.)     Baird. 
Traill's  Flycatcher.     (Empidonax  Traillii.)     (Aud.) 

FAMILY  —  ALAUDHXE.     (Larks.) 

Skylark.      (Alauda  arvensis.)      Linn. 

Streaked  Horned  Lark.      (Otocoris   alpestris    strigata.) 

Hensh. 
Dusky    Horned    Lark.      (Otocoris     alpestris     merrilli.) 

Dwight. 


274        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

FAMILY  —  CORVID.E.     (Crows,  Jays,  Magpies,  etc.} 
American  Magpie.     (Pica  pica  hudsonica.)     (Sab.) 
Steller's  Jay.     (Cyanocitta  stelleri.)     (Gmel.) 
California  Jay.     (Aphelocoma  californica.)     (Vig.) 
Gray  Jay.     (Perisoreus  obscurus  griseus.)      Ridgw. 
American  Raven.     (Corvus  corax  sinuatus.)     (Wagl.) 
American  Crow.     (Corvus  Americanus.)     Aud. 
Northwest  Crow.      (Corvus  caurinus.)      Baird. 
Clarke's  Nutcracker.     (Nucifraga  Columbiana.)     (Wils.) 
Pinon  Jay.     (Cyanocephalus  cyanocephalus.)     (Wied.) 

FAMILY  —  STURNID^E.     (Starlings) 
Starling.     (Sturnus  vulgaris.)     Linn. 

FAMILY —  ICTERID.E.     (Blackbirds,  Orioles,  etc) 
Yellow-headed  Blackbird.     (Xanthocephalus  xanthoceph- 

alus.)     (Bonap.) 

Red-winged  Blackbird.     (Agelaius  phceniceus.)     (Linn.) 
Bicolored  Blackbird.    ( Agelaius  gubernator  calif ornicus.) 

Nelson. 
Western     Meadowlark.        (Sturnella    magna   neglecta.) 

(Aud.) 

Bullock's  Oriole.     (Icterus  bullocki.)     (Swains.) 
Brewer's    Blackbird.      (Scolecophagus    cyanocephalus.) 

(Wagl.) 

FAMILY  —  FRINGILLID.E.     (Sparrows,  Finches,  etc) 
Western    Evening    Grosbeak.      (Coccothraustes  vesper- 
tinus  montanus.)     (Ridgw.) 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        275 

California  Purple  Finch.     (Carpodacus  purpureus  cali- 

fornicus.)     Baird. 

American  Crossbill.    (Loxia  curvirostra  minor,)    (Brehm.) 
Redpoll.     (Acanthis  linaria.)     (Linn.) 
Willow    Goldfinch.       (Astragalinus    tristis    salicamans.) 

(Grinnell.) 

Arkansas  Goldfinch      (Astragalinus  psaltria.)     (Say.) 
Pine  Siskin.     (Spinus  pinus.)     (Wils.) 
Snowflake.     (Passerina  nivalis.)     (Linn.) 
English,  or  European  House  Sparrow.     (Passer  domes- 

ticus.)     Linn. 
Oregon  Vesper  Sparrow.     (Pooecetes  gramineus  affinis.) 

Miller. 
Western  Savanna   Sparrow.     (Ammodramus  sandwich- 

ensis  alaudinus.)     (Bonap.) 
Western  Lark  Sparrow.    (Chondestes  grammacus  striga- 

tus.)     (Swains.) 
Gambel's  Sparrow.     (Zonotrichia  leucophrys  gambelii.) 

(Nutt.) 
Nuttall's    Sparrow.       (Zonotrichia   leucophrys  nuttalli.) 

Ridgw. 

Golden-crowned  Sparrow.  (Zonotrichia  coronata.)    (Pall.) 
Western  Chipping  Sparrow.     (Spizella  socialis  arizonae.) 

Coues. 

Oregon  Junco.     (Junco  hyemalis  oregonus.)     (Towns.) 
Rusty  Song   Sparrow.      (Melospiza  melodia  morphna.) 

Oberh. 
Townsend's  Sparrow.     (Passerella  iliaca  unalaschcensis.) 

(Gmel.) 


276        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Oregon  Towhee.     (Pipilo  maculatus  oregonus.)     (Bell.) 
Black-headed    Grosbeak.      (Zamelodia    melanocephala.) 

(Swains.) 
Lazuli  Bunting.     (Cyanospiza  amoena.)     (Say.) 

FAMILY  —  TAN  AGRID.E.     ( Tanagers.) 
Louisiana  Tanager.     (Piranga  ludoviciana.)     (Wils.) 

FAMILY  —  HIRUNDINID^E.     (Swallows.) 
Western  Martin.     (Progne  subis  hesperia.)     Brewst. 
Cliff,  or  Eave  Swallow.    (Petrochelidon  lunifrons.)    (Say.) 
Barn  Swallow.     (Hirundo  erythrogaster.)     Bodd. 
Tree  Swallow.      (Tachycineta  bicolor.)     (Vieill.) 
Violet-green  Swallow.  (Tachycineta  thalassin a.)  (Swains.) 
Bank  Swallow.     (Clivicola  riparia.)     (Linn.) 
Rough-winged   Swallow.      (Stelgidopteryx   serripennis.) 
(Aud.) 

FAMILY  —  AMPELID.E.     ( Waxwings,  etc.) 
Cedar  Waxwing,   or  Cedarbird.      (Ampelis  cedrorum.) 
(Vieill.) 

FAMILY  —  VIREONID.E.     ( Vireos.) 
Warbling  Vireo.     (Vireo  gilvus.)     (Vieill.) 
Cassin's  Vireo.     (Vireo  solitarius  cassinii.)     (Xantus.) 

FAMILY  —  MNIOTILTID^E.     ( Wood  Warblers^ 
Lutescent  Warbler.     (Helminthophila  celata  lutescens.) 

(Ridgw.) 
Yellow  Warbler.     (Dendroica  aestiva.)     (Gmel.) 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        277 

Myrtle  Warbler.     (Dendroica  coronata.)     (Linn.) 
Audubon's  Warbler.     (Dendroica  auduboni.)     (Towns.) 
Black-throated  Gray  Warbler.     (Dendroica  nigrescens.) 

(Towns.) 

Macgillivray's  Warbler.     (Geothlypis  tolmiei.)     (Towns.) 
Pacific    Yellow-throat.      (Geothlypis     trichas     arizela.) 

Oberholzer. 

Long- tailed  Chat.     (Icteria  virens  longicauda.)     (Lawr.) 
Pileolated  Warbler.    (Wilsonia  pusilla  pileolata.)    (Pall.) 

FAMILY  —  MOTACILLID^:.     (  Wagtails.) 
American  Pipit.     (Anthus  pensilvanicus.)      (Lath.) 

FAMILY — CINCLID^E.     (Dippers) 
American  Dipper.     (Cinclus  mexicanus.)      Swains. 

FAMILY  —  TROGLODYTID.E.     (Wrens,    Thrashers,  etc) 
Sage  Thrasher.     (Oroscoptes  montanus.)      (Towns.) 
Rock  Wren.     (Salpinctes  obsoletus.)      (Say.) 
Northwestern  Vigors's  Wren.       (Thryomanes  bewickii 

calophonus.)     Oberholzer. 
Parkman's   Wren.        (Troglodytes    aedon    parkmanii.) 

(Aud.) 
Western  Winter  Wren.     (Anorthura  hiemalis  pacifica.) 

(Baird.) 
Tute  Wren.    (Cistothorus  palustris  paludicola.)      Baird. 

FAMILY  —  GERTRUDE.     (Creepers) 
Sierra  Creeper.     (Certhia  familiaris  zelotes.)      Osgood. 


278        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

FAMILY  —  PARID.E.     (Nuthatches  and  Tits.) 

Slender-billed  Nuthatch.       (Sitta  carolinensis  aculeata.) 

(Cass.) 

Red-breasted  Nuthatch.     (Sitta  canadensis.)      Linn. 
Oregon   Chickadee.      (Parus    atricapillus  occidentalis.) 

(Baird.) 

Chesnut-backed  Chickadee.     (Parus  rufescens.)     Towns 
Coast  Wren-Tit.     (Chamaea  fasciata  phaea.)     Osgood. 
Bush-Tit.      (Psaltriparus  minimus.)     (Towns.) 

FAMILY  —  SYLIVID.E.     (Kinglets  and  Gnatcatchers .} 

Western    Golden-Crowned    Kinglet.     (Regulus    satrapa 

olivaceus.)     Baird. 
Ruby-crowned  Kinglet.     (Regulus  calendula.)     (Linn.) 

FAMILY  TURDID^:.     (Thrushes,  Bluebirds,  etc.] 

Russet-backed  Thrush.     (Hylocichla  ustulata.)     (Nutt.) 
Western  Robin.    (Merulamigratoriapropinqua.)    Ridgw. 
Varied  Thrush.     (Hesperocichla  naevia.)     (Gmel.) 
Western     Bluebird.       (Sialia     mexicana     occidentalis.) 

(Towns.) 
Mountain  Bluebird.     (Sialia  arctica.)     Swains. 


A  COURSE  OF  STUDY  UPON  BIRDS  FOR 
SCHOOLS  AND  BIRD-STUDENTS. 

INASMUCH  as  this  book  has  been  chosen  by 
the  Text  Book  Commission  of  the  State  of  Ore- 
gon to  be  used  for  "  Supplementary  Reading  " 
in  the  Public  Schools,  the  author  feels  himself 
called  upon  to  make  some  suggestions  to  Princi- 
pals and  Teachers  as  to  why  the  subject  of  Birds 
should  be  especially  studied,  also  as  to  the  way 
in  which  he  thinks  the  book  can  be  used  to  the 
greatest  advantage. 

Why  should  special  attention  be  given  to 
birds  above  other  objects  in  nature  ? 

The  answer  is,  that  nothing  else  in  nature 
has,  at  the  same  time,  such  attractive,  joy-inspir- 
ing and  interesting  qualities.  Birds  more  than 
flowers,  because  they  are  not  only  beautiful,  but 
they  are  beautiful  in  many  ways  and  have  be- 
side so  many  uniquely  engaging  characteristics. 
Their  colors  are  often  as  exquisite  or  as  gorgeous 
as  those  of  flowers,  and  in  grace  of  form  they 
are  also  equal,  while  they  have,  in  addition, 
supreme  grace  of  movement  and  the  heavenly 


280        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

gift  of  song.  All  these  attractions  they  possess, 
but  they  have,  too,  active  habits  which  invite  the 
attention  of  even  the  least  curious;  their  nest- 
building,  their  care  of  their  young,  their  food 
habits  and  their  migration  ;  and  more  than  all, 
they  respond  to  the  sympathetic  heart  of  a 
human  being. 

As  a  source  of  happiness,  nothing  can  equal 
an  interest  in  the  birds,  except  an  interest  in 
humanity  itself.  Especially  should  country 
children  be  introduced  to  this  avenue  of  true 
joy,  and  through  it  to  a  love  of  Nature's  infinite 
variety.  It  will  make  the  fields,  orchards  and 
groves  a  section  of  veritable  heaven  to  all  those 
who  through  the  birds  get  into  sympathetic 
touch  with  Nature.  If  teachers  and  children  do 
not  together  see  and  hear  and  know  the  birds 
about  them,  the  life-long  loss  can  be  understood 
only  by  those  who  have  been  led  into  this  beatific 
world  of  sympathy  and  living  beauty. 

Then,  again,  nothing  in  nature  is  more  closely 
related  to  the  vast  vegetable  world,  which,  next 
to  the  birds,  furnishes  us  with  the  most  happi- 
ness,—  the  trees,  and  shrubs,  and  flowers.  The 
birds  are  their  natural  protectors  from  destruc- 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        281 

tive  insects,  as  they  are  also  the  protectors  of 
the  food-plants  which  we  must  raise  upon  our 
land  to  feed  the  people. 

Since  the  modern  science  of  Pedagogy  de- 
mands that  all  Nature  Study  should  be  made 
objective,  this  book  assumes  that  any  interest 
aroused  in  the  pupils,  by  reading  its  pages,  will 
at  once  be  made  vital  and  permanent,  by  going 
from  the  book  to  the  birds  which  the  book  has 
described. 

By  means  of  the  Size  and  Color  Keys,  the 
birds  referred  to  in  the  reading  may  be  quite 
easily  found.  Once  the  identification  and  obser- 
vation of  birds  have  begun,  a  natural  interest 
will  lead  pupils  to  include  all  the  ground  covered 
by  this  little  book  and  more. 

The  book  is  purposely  made  of  a  size  conven- 
ient for  the  pocket  or  the  hand,  for  out-of-door 
use. 

The  reason  for  the  order  in  which  the  birds 
are  given  is  indicated  at  the  beginning  of  Chapter 
V,  "  How  to  Name  the  Birds."  But  here  there 
should  be  a  pedagogical  justification  of  what  may 


282        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

seem  to  some  a  confused  and  disordered  succes- 
sion of  species.  Established  pedagogical  psy- 
chology begins  with  interest  in  the  individual, 
and  advances,  through  observations  of  many  indi- 
viduals, to  the  associations  which  gradually  lead 
to  classification  into  families. 

An  objective  interest  must  wait  upon  the 
presence  of  the  birds  in  the  given  locality,  and 
the  presence  of  the  birds  will  be  determined 
largely  by  the  season.  A  "  seasonal  order  "  is, 
therefore,  for  the  most  part,  followed.  But  in  a 
few  instances  in  the  book,  birds  are  presented  in 
families,  because  it  is  taken  for  granted  that, 
after  a  time,  pupils  will  be  going  from  the  birds 
they  have  seen  to  the  book,  rather  than  from  the 
book  to  the  birds  ;  their  convenience  in  the  mat- 
ter of  reference  will  be  served  by  grouping 
"The  Gulls,"  "The  Wrens"  and  some  other 
families  of  birds,  the  members  of  which  are  al- 
ready associated  in  the  minds  of  the  pupils. 

The  kind  of  interest  assumed  is  clearly  pointed 
out  in  the  first  chapter  in  this  book,  "  A  word 
to  Beginners  and  Teachers."  But  it  cannot  be 
repeated  too  often  that  a  living,  sympathetic 
and  aesthetic,  and  not  a  scientific,  interest  in  bird- 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        283 

life  is  the  end  here  sought.  John  Burroughs,  one 
of  the  greatest  nature-lovers  and  prose-poets  of 
any  age,  said  in  substance  to  the  author  while 
he  was  preparing  this  edition  of  this  book :  If 
only  you  can  lead  them  (the  pupils  and  also  the 
readers  of  this  book)  to  enjoy  and  sympathise 
with  the  birds ! 

A  word  upon  what  may  seem  to  some  a  defi- 
ciency in  the  book,  in  that  not  more  is  said  about 
the  habits  of  the  several  birds  described.  Not 
only  has  consideration  of  the  size  of  the  book, 
which  must  be  kept  small  enough  for  field  use, 
prevented  fuller  statement,  but  the  end  of  a  true 
and  living  bird-interest  is  served  by  leaving  the 
pupil  to  find  out  for  himself  what  more  can  be 
known  about  each  variety  of  the  birds  about  his 
home.  This  is  the  method  teachers  employ  in 
all  other  studies.  They  would  stimulate  their 
pupils  to  find  their  own  way  into  any  subject  of 
study,  giving  them  only  "  a  start." 

The  presence  of  more  half-tone  pictures  of 
the  species  of  the  birds  noted,  would  not,  to  the 
author's  mind,  be  altogether  an  advantage.  And 
he  is  sure  that  colored  plates  would  be  a  positive 


284        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

detriment  both  to  the  objective  interest  and  to 
the  pleasure  of  the  pupil.  So  much  happiness 
depends,  as  all  bird-students  will  testify,  upon 
searching  a  little  to  identify  the  vocal  and  flitting 
feathered  beauties. 

The  author  deprecates,  as  stated  elsewhere  in 
Chapter  I,  the  setting  before  the  pupil  in  the 
schoolroom  some  dead  substitute  for  the  thing 
that  he  is  to  find  alive  outside. 

A  long  trial  (for  years)  of  this  method  of 
"  specimens,"  in  the  public  schools  of  Worcester, 
Mass.,  is  very  instructive  upon  this  point.  So 
harmful  was  it  found  to  be  that  some  time  ago 
the  Superintendent  of  Schools  in  that  city  issued 
directions  prohibiting  the  further  use  of  dead 
birds  in  the  study  of  this  living  subject.  Instead, 
pupils  are  taught  to  come  at  once  into  sympa- 
thetic fellowship  with  the  living  birds  themselves. 
And  how  close  that  fellowship  may  be  is  shown 
in  a  number  of  pictures  in  this  book.  The 
author  would  have  been  pleased  had  all  of  the 
illustrations  been  from  living  birds,  for  thus 
the  end  sought  through  the  book  would  have 
been  more  fully  realized. 

Let  the  children,  and  men  and  women  as  well, 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        285 

learn  the  art  of  taming  birds  till  they  come  at 
call  to  the  feet  or  even  to  the  hand,  as  did  the 
Grosbeaks,  the  Cedarbird  and  "Bob." 

The  descriptions  in  Chapter  V  begin  with 
birds  assumed  to  be  in  a  given  locality  about 
February  ist,  and  the  months  are  supposed  to 
move  on  in  the  book  through  the  next  January, 
covering  thus  the  whole  year. 

As  may  be  seen,  a  teacher  may  begin  at  any 
point  in  the  year,  using  that  part  of  the  book 
answering  to  the  presence  of  certain  kinds  of 
birds  in  any  given  place.  As  for  example,  one 
may  wish  to  begin  the  use  of  the  book  in  De- 
cember or  January,  and  would,  therefore,  select 
the  part  that  deals  with  "  Winter  Birds,"  turning 
back  to  the  beginning  of  the  chapter,  "  How  to 
Name  the  Birds,"  in  order  to  describe  the  birds 
to  be  found  in  February. 

The  author  is  indebted  to  Dr.  Frank  M. 
McMurry  of  the  Teachers'  College,  Columbia 
University,  New  York  City,  for  a  careful  read- 
ing and  hearty  approval  of  the  statement 
above  made,  and  also  of  the  following  course  of 
study. 


286        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

The  course  covers  three  years,  but  it  is  not 
given  with  the  expectation  that  all  of  the  pupils 
in  our  schools  will  follow  it  entirely  through. 

Pupils  who  have  already  passed  into  the 
Seventh  and  Eighth  Grades,  without  having 
made  the  observations  specified  for  the  "  First 
Year,"  should,  of  course,  begin  here. 

First  Year  — Sixth  Grade. 

The  first  year  should  be  devoted  to  learning 
to  know  by  sight  and  song,  as  many  as  possible 
of  the  common  birds  about  the  homes  of  the 
pupils.  Not  all  of  those  given  in  order  in  this 
book  or  in  the  following  list  will  be  found  in 
every  locality.  But  many  of  them  will  be  seen 
in  nearly  all  places. 

The  easiest  way  to  become  familiar  with  the 
songs  and  names  of  our  feathered  friends  is  to 
observe  a  small  number  of  birds  at  a  time. 

In  order  to  make  the  most  out  of  the  year's 
study,  it  will  be  helpful  if  we  can  observe  a  few 
birds  each  month  at  the  time  when  certain 
species  are  most  abundant  near  our  homes. 
Some  are  always  with  us,  but  will  more  naturally 
invite  our  attention  at  one  time  than  at  another. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        287 

Some  species  will  be  flitting  before  our  eyes 
and  singing  into  our  ears  for  several  weeks, 
and  we  may  give  our  attention  to  them  at  any 
time  during  the  period  of  their  active  presence. 
But,  in  order  to  systematize  our  work  and  thus 
to  keep  from  getting  confused,  it  will  be  well  to 
give  our  attention  each  month  in  the  year  to  a 
certain  number  of  varieties. 

The  first  year,  let  the  observation  of  the  birds 
begin  in  February.  The  following  scheme  by 
months  is  given,  but  it  should  not  be  strictly 
adhered  to,  if  other  species  are  more  common  in 
a  particular  locality  at  a  given  time. 

FEBRUARY. 

Western  Robin,  Western  Meadowlark,  West- 
ern Evening  Grosbeak,  Rusty  Song  Sparrow, 
Red-shafted  and  Northwestern  Flickers,  Western 
Bluebird,  Mountain  Bluebird,  Brewer's  Black- 
bird, Western  Winter  Wren,  Crows,  some  of  the 
Hawks  and  Owls. 

MARCH. 

The  Oregon  Towhee,  or  Chewink  ("Catbird"), 
some  of  the  Woodpeckers,  Audubon's  Warbler, 
Vigors's  Wren,  Skylark,  Horned  Larks,  Rufous 


288         Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Hummingbird,    the    other    Blackbirds.     Crows, 
and  Hawks  again,  and  some  of  the  Jays. 
APRIL. 

California  Purple  Finch,  Willow  Goldfinch, 
Arkansas  Goldfinch,  Nuttall's  and  Gambel's 
White-crowned  Sparrows,  Golden-crowned  Spar- 
row, Pine  Siskin,  Parkman's  House  Wren,  West- 
ern Chipping  Sparrow,  Pacific  Yellow-throat  and 
the  other  Sparrows,  or  as  many  as  can  be  ob- 
served. 

MAY. 

The  Swallows,  Western  Purple  Martin,  Yel- 
low and  Lutescent  Warblers,  Macgillivray's 
Warbler,  Cedar-bird,  or  Wax-wing,  Cassin's  and 
the  Warbling  Vireos,  Bullock's  Oriole,  Black- 
headed  Grosbeak,  and  Russet-backed  Thrush. 

JUNE. 

Lazuli  Bunting,  Louisiana  Tanager,  the  Fly- 
catchers, Long-tailed  Chat,  Sage  Thrasher, 
Black-throated  Gray  Warbler,  Pileolated  War- 
bler, Tul6  Wren,  Great  Blue  Heron,  California 
Cuckoo,  Western  Night-hawk,  Poorwill. 

Teachers  may  recommend  for  vacation  obser- 
vation the  following : 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        289 

i  JULY. 

Water  Ouzel,  Kingfisher,  Fish-Hawk  and  the 
Woodpeckers  and  Jays  not  observed  before. 
The  Swifts,  Mourning  Dove  and  Band-tailed 
Pigeon. 

AUGUST  AND  SEPTEMBER. 

Hawks  and  Owls  not  observed  before,  West- 
ern Gull,  Sandpipers,  Northern  Phalarope,  Kill- 
deer,  Raven. 

NOVEMBER,  DECEMBER,  JANUARY. 

Inland,  in  November  as  well  as  in  December 
and  January,  special  attention  should  be  given 
to  the  Winter  Birds  that  are  with  us  only  at  that 
time,  or  are  then  particularly  in  evidence  and 
nearer  our  homes. 

Observation  of  some  of  these,  the  Kinglets, 
will  carry  us  into  February  again. 

During  these  months,  pupils  who  live  near 
the  water  will  be  interested  in  the  Gulls  which 
are  upon  our  bays,  inlets,  and  harbors,  and  on 
the  piers  of  our  seaports. 

In  February  and  March,  and  again  later,  let 
the  chapter  upon  "  How  to  Domesticate  and 
Tame  Birds  "  be  read,  and  its  directions  applied. 


2  go        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Along  with  the  use  of  this  book  and  observa- 
tions of  the  birds  during  the  year,  prose  and 
poetry  should  be  read  and  some  of  the  simpler 
bird  poems  learned  ;  the  following  are  suggested 
as  among  selections  suitable  for  the  purpose  : 

POETRY. 

Sir  Robin,  Lucy  Larcom.  Piccola  and  Sparrow, 
Celia  Thaxter.  The  Brown  Thrush,  Lucy  Larcom. 
A  Child's  Question,  S.  T.  Coleridge.  The  Golden 
Robin,  Celia  Thaxter.  The  Bird's  Orchestra,  Celia 
Thaxter.  Yellow  Bird,  Celia  Thaxter. 

PROSE. 

Home  Studies  in  Nature,  Mrs.  Treat.  "  Story  of 
Little  Billee,"  from  Birds  and  all  Nature,  Caroline 
C.  Bascom.  Second  Book  of  Birds,  Olive  Thome 
Miller.  Everyday  Birds,  Bradford  Torrey.  Citizen 
Bird,  Mabel  O.  Wright.  Mr.  Chupes  and  Miss 
Jenny,  Effie  Bignell. 

The  poems  or  prose,  read  or  learned,  should 
naturally  relate  to  the  birds  already  observed. 
There  should  be  as  few  unknown  facts  as  possi- 
ble implied  in  this  literature. 

Second  Year  —  Seventh  Grade. 
In    this    year,    pupils    should    learn,  through 
books,  something  about  the  general  -facts  of  bird- 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        291 

life,  doing  this  during  the  late  autumn  and  in 
the  early  winter,  when  bird-life  invites  less  out- 
of-door  study.  As  the  spring  approaches,  the 
birds  that  in  the  first  year's  course  were  not 
named,  should  be  observed,  and  those  already 
identified  should  be  given  further  notice. 

The  following  course  is  recommended  :  In  the 
early  autumn  months,  "  Where  have  our  birds 
gone  ? "  "  Where  are  they  going  ?  "  "  Some- 
thing about  migration."  "In  what  Southern 
lands  do  certain  species  of  our  birds  pass  the 
winter?"  "What  do  they  do  there?  '  "Do 
they  nest  ?  "  "  Why  do  they  migrate  ?  "  "  Is  it 
the  winter  that  occasions  their  going  and  coming, 
or  is  it  food,  —  or  both  ?  " 

Watch  this  year  for  the  arrival  of  the  birds, 
observing  about  what  time  the  different  species 
come  to  their  summer  homes. 

In  late  January  and  in  February,  find  further 
what  birds  will  nest  about  our  homes,  and  pro- 
vide the  necessary  conditions  to  have  them  make 
their  residence  with  us.  Some  birds  need  boxes 
to  build  their  nests  in,  while  there  are  others 
that  will  nest  in  our  vines  and  shade-trees.  See 
again  Chapter  VII  in  this  book. 


292        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

In  March,  April,  May  and  June,  let  the  sub- 
ject be  "  Nesting/'  Through  observation,  learn 
where  the  different  species  nest ;  on  the  ground, 
in  bushes,  shrubs,  trees,  the  kinds  of  trees,  high 
or  low. 

The  shapes  of  nests,  pendant,  round,  etc. 
Material  of  nests  of  different  kinds  of  birds : 
mud,  grasses,  etc. 

What  material  can  we  furnish  to  help  the 
birds  in  their  nesting  ? 

During  nesting-time,  special  attention  should 
be  paid  to  the  enemies  of  the  smaller  birds ;  — 
Cats,  Crows  and  Jays. 

In  these  months,  also,  notice  the  flights  of 
birds.  Notice  the  different  kinds  of  flights, 
the  direct,  the  undulating,  the  irregular ;  the 
grace  of  the  Swallows  and  the  Goldfinches; 
the  splendid  movement  of  the  Flickers ;  the 
wonder  of  floating  in  air,  as  in  the  Swallow, 
etc. 

In  vacation,  on  the  sea-shore,  notice  Water- 
birds,  —  the  Snipes,  and  Summer  Gulls.  Notice 
also  Land-birds  which  live  near  the  sea-shore, 
the  Western  Savanna  Sparrow,  the  Northwest 
Crow,  etc.  In  the  woods,  especially  in  eastern 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        293 

Oregon,  notice  the  Jays,  "  Clarke's  Crow,"  or 
"  Nutcracker,"  etc. 

Throughout  the  year,  read  poetry  and  prose 
upon  Birds  and  Nature,  committing  to  memory 
some  of  the  poems.  The  following  are  sug- 
gested : 

POETRY. 

The  Emperor's  Bird-nest,  H.  W.  Longfellow. 
Birds  at  Dawn,  Harriet  E.  Paine.  The  Wren's 
Nest,  Dinah  Mulock  Craik.  Christmas  in  Norway, 
Celia  Thaxter.  What  the  Swallows  Say,  Theophile 
Gautier.  The  Kingfisher,  Celia  Thaxter.  The 
Brown  Thrasher,  Mabel  Osgood  Wright. 

PROSE. 

Birds  in  the  Bush:  Chapters,  " Bird-Songs," 
"Character  in  Feathers,"  "Minor  Songsters,"  "A 
Bird-Lover's  April,"  "  A  Month's  Music,"  Bradford 
Torrey.  Ways  of  Wood  Folk:  Chapters,  "An  Ori- 
ole's Nest,"  "Crow-ways,"  "  Snowy  Visitors,"  "A 
Christmas  Carol,"  "A  Fellow  of  Expedients,"  Wil- 
liam y.  Long. 

Third  Year  — Eighth  Grade. 

During  this  year,  a  wider  general  knowledge 
of  bird-life  should  be  obtained,  and  a  more 
particular  and  familiar  acquaintance  with  local 
species  of  birds  should  be  made. 


294        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

In  autumn  and  spring,  study  again  and  more 
objectively,  "Migration."  In  the  same  months, 
observe  Transient  Birds,  that  is,  birds  that  nest 
north  of  us  and  that  can  be  seen  only  as  they 
pass  through  our  State  in  the  spring  and 
autumn, —  such  as  the  Golden-Crowned  Spar- 
row, the  Dwarf  Hermit  Thrush,  et  al. 

In  winter,  Bird-food  should  be  studied  again, 
with  reference  to  the  usefulness  of  birds.  The 
relation  of  birds  to  insect-life  and  to  weeds ; 
relation  of  the  bills  of  the  different  species  to 
different  kinds  of  food,  —  the  Finches  to  seed, 
etc. 

Classification  of  birds  in  families, — e.g.  Wood- 
pecker Family,  Thrush  Family,  etc. 

Bird  Structure,  Coloration,  and  other  such 
topics  may  be  taken  up.  In  the  Bird-months, 
March,  April,  May  and  June,  notice  particularly 
the  songs  of  birds.  The  different  quality  in 
different  species ;  the  different  songs  in  the 
same  species,  —  for  instance,  the  very  great 
variety  in  the  Western  Meadowlark  ;  the  differ- 
ent quality  of  voice  in  individuals  of  the  same 
species.  Write  down,  if  you  can,  some  of  the 
songs  of  birds. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        295 

Mrs.  Eckstorm's  book,  already  referred  to, 
may  be  read  for  some  of  the  general  information. 
Parts  of  "A  First  Book  upon  the  Birds  of  Ore- 
gon and  Washington,"  for  Bird-songs  and  for 
some  facts  about  the  relation  of  Birds  to  insect- 
life  and  to  weeds. 

See  for  the  general  subjects  also,  Frank  M. 
Chapman's  "Bird-Life,"  Oliver  Thorne  Miller's 
"A  First  Book  of  Birds,"  and  others.  For  a 
book  of  reference  for  birds  of  these  States,  not 
described  in  this  book,  Mrs.  Florence  Merriam 
Bailey's,  "  Hand-book  of  Western,  Birds."  For 
teachers,  an  excellent  book  is  Dr.  C.  F.  Hodge's 
"  Nature  Study."  -  —  Ginn  &  Co.,  Boston.  Read 
and  learn  some  of  the  finer  poems.  Those  by 
Wordsworth,  Shelley  and  James  Hogg,  "  To 
the  Skylark,"  and  by  W.  C.  Bryant,  "To  the 
Waterfowl,"  are  too  reflective  for  the  average 
boy  and  girl.  They  may,  however,  be  spoken  of 
as  something  to  be  read  and  learned  later. 

The  following  are  within  the  experience  of 
children  of  this  grade : 

POETRY. 

Walter  von  der  Vogelweid,  H.  W.  Longfellow. 
The  Great  Blue  Heron,  Celia  Thaxter.  The  Sing- 


296        Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

Away  Bird,  Lucy  Larcom.  The  Happy  Birds,  Celia 
Thaxter.  The  Halo,  W.  C.  Gannett.  The  Mary- 
land Yellow-throat,  Henry  van  Dyke.  All  Things 
Return,  R.  W>.  Emerson.  The  Sandpiper,  Celia 
Thaxter.  The  Kingfisher,  Maurice  Thompson.  The 
Kingfisher,  Isaac  McLellan.  The  Field  Sparrow, 
Lucy  Larcom.  Sandpipers,  Duncan  Campbell  Scott. 
A  Band  of  Bluebirds  (In  Autumn),  Wm.  H.  Hayne. 
Birds  in  Spring,  Margaret  J.  Preston.  The  Blue- 
bird, John  B.  Tabb.  The  Song-Sparrow,  Henry 
van  Dyke.  The  Bluebird,  Eben  Eugene  Rexford. 
The  Fisherman's  Hymn,  Alexander  Wilson.  Birds, 
Ralph  Waldo  Emerson. 

The  last  eleven  poems  are  from  "  Through  the 
year  with  Birds  and  Poets,"  compiled  by  Sarah 
Williams. 

PROSE. 

Wake-Robin :  Chapters,  "  The  Return  of  the 
Birds,"  "  Bird's-Nests,"  "  The  Bluebird,"  "  Spring  at 
the  Capital,"  "The  Invitation,"  "In  the  Hem- 
locks," John  Burroughs.  Fresh  Fields  :  Chapters, 
"  Impressions  of  some  English  Birds,"  "  A  Hunt  for 
the  Nightingale,"  '*  English  and  American  Song- 
Birds," /0/^z  Burroughs.  Signs  and  Seasons  :  Chap- 
ters, "Hard  Fare,"  "  Winter  Neighbors,"  "  Bird-Ene- 
mies," John  Burroughs.  Locusts  and  WTild  Honey  : 
Chapters,  "Birds  and  Birds,"  "  Birds'-Nesting," 
John  Burroughs.  Birds  and  Poets :  Chapters, 
"  Birds  and  Poets,"  "  April,"  "  A  Bird  Medley," 
John  Burroughs.  Land  of  the  Lingering  Snow: 
Chapters,  "  Footprints  in  the  Snow,"  "  The  First 
Bluebird,"  "  The  Coming  of  the  Birds,"  "A  Forest 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington        297 

Anthem,"  "  The  Secrets  of  the  Meadow,"  "  In 
the  Wren  Orchard,"  Frank  Bolles.  Blomidon  to 
Smoky:  Chapters,  "  Ways  of  the  Owl,"  "  Bird 
Traits,"  "  Individuality  in  Birds,"  "  Birds  at  Yule- 
tide,"  "Up  the  Chimney,"  Frank  Bolles.  "The 
Footpath  Way  :  Chapters,  "  A  Widow  and  Twins," 
"The  Male  Ruby-throat,"  "Robin  Roosts,"  "A 
Great  Blue  Heron,"  "  The  Passing  of  the  Birds," 
Bradford  Torrey. 

The  Birds  of  Killingworth,  by  H.  W.  Long- 
fellow is  somewhat  obscure  in  parts,  but  passages 
may  be  selected  from  it  that  will  be  enjoyable 
and  profitable  reading  for  pupils  in  the  Eighth 
Grade. 


INDEX. 

Page 

Bittern,  American 147 

Blackbird,  Bicolored 67 

Blackbird,  Brewer's 56 

Blackbird,  Red-winged 66 

Blackbird,  Yellow-headed 67 

Black  Merlin   189 

Bluebird,  Mountain 56 

Bluebird,  Western 54 

Bunting,  Lazuli 141 

Bunting,  Oregon  Bay-winged  .    94 

Bunting,  Snow 224 

Bush-Tit 227 

Cedarbird,  or  Cedar  Waxwing 112 

Chat,  Long- tailed.  . 119 

Chewink,  Oregon,  or  Towhee 60 

Chickadees,  The    225 

Chickadee,  Chestnut-backed 227 

Chickadee,  Oregon 226 

Coast  Wren-Tit 228 

Creeper,  Sierra 169 

Crossbill,  American 223 

Crow,  The 173 

Crow,  American 175 

Crow,  Clarke's,  or  Clarke's  Nutcracker 179 

Crow,  Northwest 175 

Cuckoo,  California 150 

Dove,  Family 155 

Dove,  Mourning,  or  Turtle 155 

Dipper,  American,  or  Water  Ouzel 172 

Eagles,  The 193 

Eagle,  Bald    193 

Eagle,  Golden    193 

299 


Index 

.Page 

Finch,  California  Purple 79 

Flicker,  Northwestern 54 

Flicker,  Red-shafted 52 

Flycatchers,  The 131 

Flycatcher,  Olive-sided 134 

Flycatcher,  Traill's , 135 

Flycatcher,  Western 136 

Goldfinch,  Arkansas 84 

Goldfinch,  Willow 83 

Goldfinch,  European  (Imported) 241 

Great  Blue  Heron 146 

Grosbeak,  Black-headed 127 

Grosbeak,  Western  Evening 47 

Gulls,  The 208 

Gull,  Bonaparte's 215 

Gull,  California 214 

Gull,  Glaucus-winged 213 

Gull,  American  Herring 213 

Gull,  Ring-billed 213 

Gull,  Short-billed 214 

Gull,  Western 211 

Hawks  and  Owls 1 82 

Hawk,  Cooper's 185 

Hawk,  Desert  Sparrow- 190 

Hawk,  Fish,  or  American  Osprey 191 

Hawk,  Marsh 187 

Hawk.  Pigeon 189 

Hawk,  Sharp-shinned 184 

Hawk,  Swainson's 186 

Hawk,  Western  Red-tailed 186 

Hawk,  American  Rough-legged 187 

Hawk,  Ferruginous  Rough-legged . . .  1 88 

Heron,  Great  Blue , 146 

Heron,  Green 149 

Hummingbird,  Allen's 64 

Hummingbird,  Black-chinned   65 

3oo 


Index 

Page 

Hummingbird,  Calliope 65 

Hummingbird  Rufous  .    62 

Jay,  California 177 

Jay,  Gray 178 

Jay,  Pifion 1 80 

Jay,  Steller's 1 76 

Junco,  Oregon 217 

Killdeer,  The 201 

Kingbird,  The 139 

Kingbird,  Arkansas,  or  Western 137 

Kingfisher,  Belted 1 70 

Kinglets,  The 233 

Kinglet,  Western  Golden-crowned 233 

Kinglet,  Ruby-crowned 235 

Kittiwake,  Pacific 215 

Lark,  Sky 70 

Lark,  Dusky  Horned 73 

Lark,  Streaked  Horned 72 

Lazuli  Bunting 141 

Magpie,  American 181 

Martin,  Western   no 

Meadowlark,    Western 40 

Merlin,  Black 189 

Nighthawk,   Western 151 

Northern  Phalarope   202 

Nutcracker,  Clarke's,  or  Clarke's  Crow   179 

Nuthatches,  The 230 

Nuthatch,  Red-breasted 231 

Nuthatch,  Slender-billed    232 

Oriole,  Bullock's 122 

Osprey,  American,  or  Fish-Hawk 191 

Ouzel,  Water,  or  American  Dipper 172 

Owls,  The 194 

Owl,  Burrowing 198 

Owl,  California  Pygmy 200 

Owl,  Dusky  Horned 198 


Index 

Owl,  The  Screech 195 

Owl,  Kennicott's  Screech 197 

Owl,  Macfarlane's  Screech 197 

Owl,  Short-eared,  or  Marsh 194 

Pacific  Kittiwake 215 

Pewee,  Western  Wood 133 

Phalarope,  Northern 202 

Phoebe,  Western  Black 141 

Phoebe,  Say's 140 

Pigeon,  Band-tailed 157 

Pipit,  American,  or  Titlark 221 

Poorwill,  The 153 

Raven,  American 175 

Redpoll 223 

Robin,  Varied,  or  Varied  Thrush 219 

Robin,  Western 38 

Sage  Thrasher 145 

Say's  Phoebe .  .  .  .  . 140 

Sandpiper,  Least 203 

Sandpiper,  Red-backed 206 

Sandpiper,  Western   205 

Sapsucker,  Red-breasted 168 

Siskin,  Pine 81 

Skylark  (Imported) 70 

Snowflake 224 

Sparrow,  English,  or  European  House.  . 58 

Sparrow,  Gambel's  White-crowned 74 

Sparrow,  Golden-crowned 78 

Sparrow,  Nuttall's  White-crowned 74 

Sparrow,  Oregon  Vesper 94 

Sparrow.  Rusty  Song 50 

Sparrow,  Townsend's 220 

Sparrow,  Western  Chipping 93 

Sparrow,  Western  Lark 96 

Sparrow,  Western  Savanna 95 

Starling,  European  (Imported) 238 

302 


Index 

Page 

Swallows,  The 97 

Swallow,  Bank 108 

Swallow,  Barn 106 

Swallow,  Cliff,  or  Eave 102 

Swallow,  Rough-winged 109 

Swallow,  Tree,  or  White-bellied 104. 

Swallow,  Violet-green 100 

Swift,  Black 160 

Swift,    Vaux's 158 

Tanager,  Louisiana,  or  Western 143 

Tern,   Arctic 209 

Tern,  Black 210 

Thrasher,  Sage 145 

Thrush,   Black  (Imported) 241 

Thrush,    Russet-backed 129 

Thrush,  Song  (Imported) 240 

Thrush,  Varied,  or  Varied  Robin 219 

Tit,  Bush 227 

Tit,  Coast  Wren 228 

Titlark,  or  American  Pipit 221 

Towhee,  Oregon,  or  Chewink 60 

Vireos,  The 1 24 

Vireo,    Anthony's 125 

Vireo,    Cassin's 1 26 

Vireo,  Hutton's 125 

Vireo,  Warbling 125 

Warblers,  The 114 

Warbler,    Audubon's 68 

Warble*,   Black-throated  Gray 1 1 8 

Warbler  Lutescent 117 

Warbler,  Macgillivray's 1 18 

Warbler,   Myrtle 70 

Warbler,    Pileolated 121 

Warbler,  Yellow  or  Summer 115 

Waxwing,  Cedar,  or  Cedarbird 112 

Winter  Birds,  The • 216 


Index 

Page 

Woodpeckers,  The 101 

Woodpecker,  Californian 167 

Woodpecker,  Gairdner's 163 

Woodpecker,   Harris's 162 

Woodpecker,  Lewis's 164 

Woodpecker,   Northern  Pileated 166 

Wren-Tit,  Coast 228 

Wrens,  The 85 

Wren,   Parkman's 86 

Wren,  Rock 90 

Wren,  Tute 89 

Wren,  Northwestern  Vigors's 87 

V/ren,  Western  Winter 88 

Yellow-throat,  Pacific 90 


GENERAL  DESCRIPTION. 


Date 

Upper 

parts 

Under 

parts 

Size 

Date 

Upper 

parts 

Under 

parts 

Size 

PARTICULAR  DESCRIPTION. 

Locality  Date 

Haunt 

Length  (tip  of  bill  to  end  of  tail} 

Size  and  shape  of  bill 

Length  and  shape  of  tail 

Forehead 

Cro^vn 

Cheeks 

Nape 

Back 

Rump 

Upper  tail-coverts 

Tail 

Wings 

Throat 

Breast 

Abdomen 


Color  -< 


Voice 

Movements,  etc. 
Remarks 


LITERATURE  UPON   BIRDS   OF   OREGON 
AND  WASHINGTON. 

IT  will  be  of  interest  to  some,  perhaps  to 
many,  to  see  a  list  of  the  publications  —  as  far  as 
the  author  has  found  them  —  put  forth  by  a 
number  of  persons  at  various  times,  upon  the 
Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington.  It  would  be 
of  very  great  service  if  as  many  of  these  as 
possible  were  gathered  up  and  reprinted  in  some 
inexpensive  and  convenient  form.  At  present, 
these  papers  are,  for  most  persons,  in  inaccessi- 
ble volumes. 

These  several  papers  contain  reliable  lists  — 
with  some  description^  of  the  habits  —  of  birds 
found  in  southwestern  Oregon,  numbering  191  ; 
in  northeastern  Oregon,  numbering  1 20  (eighty- 
eight  of  these  not  in  the  previous  list)  ;  three 
lists  of  birds  found  in  southwestern  Washington  ; 
one  list  of  150  birds  found  in  Chelan  County, 
central  Washington  ;  and  lists  for  three  counties 
in  eastern  Washington  ;  —  making,  for  the  two 
States,  about  330  Land  and  Water  Birds  named 
in  the  several  sections. 


ii  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

The  publications  referred  to  are  as  foltows  : 

Reports  made  by  Drs.  Cooper  and  Suckley, 
the  naturalists  with  the  expedition  sent  out  by 
the  Government  to  make  explorations  and  sur- 
veys to  ascertain  the  most  practicable  route  for 
a  railroad  to  the  Pacific  coast.  These  reports 
include  catalogues  and  descriptions  of  birds,  and, 
in  1859,  were  published  under  the  title  of  "  Nat- 
ural History  of  Washington  Territory." 

Notes  on  some  of  the  Birds  found  in  south- 
eastern Oregon,  particularly  in  the  vicinity  of 
Camp  Harney,  from  November,  1874,  to  Janu- 
ary, 1877;  191  species  and  sub-species.  Cap- 
tain Charles  Bendire.  Published  in  the  Pro- 
ceedings of  the  Boston  Society  of  Natural 
History,  in  1877.  v°l-  XIX. 

Field  Notes  upon  the  Birds  of  Washington 
County,  Oregon.  A.  W.  Anthony.  "The 
Auk,"  1886.  Vol.  III. 

List  of  Birds  about  Gray's  Harbor,  Washing- 
ton. R.  H.  Lawrence.  "The  Auk,"  1892. 
Vol.  IX. 

Notes  on  some  Birds  of  Gray's  Harbor,  Wash- 
ington. T.  S.  Palmer.  "The  Auk,"  1892. 
Vol.  IX. 


Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington  iii 

Preliminary  list  of  Birds  of  Okanogan  County 
(now  partly  Chelan  County),  Washington.  Wil- 
liam Leon  Dawson.  "  The  Auk,"  1897.  Vol. 
XIV.  "The  Auk,"  1901.  Vol.  XVIII. 

List  of  Birds  at  Diamond  Lake,  Stevens 
County;  Mt.  Carleton,  Spokane  County;  and 
Pullman,  Whitman  County.  J.  O.  Snyder. 
"The  Auk,"  1900.  Vol.  XVII. 

List  of  Birds  about  Cape  Disappointment, 
Washington.  W.  H.  Kobbe.  "The  Auk," 
1900.  Vol.  XVII. 

Many  references  to  Oregon,  Washington,  and 
British  Columbia  are  to  be  found  in  Belding's 
"  Land  and  Water-birds  of  California,"  published 
by  the  California  Academy  of  Sciences,  in  two 
volumes. 

The  most  valuable  book  of  all  is  Major  Charles 
Bendire's  monumental  work,  "  Life  Histories  of 
North  American  Birds,"  printed  by  the  Govern- 
ment in  1895.  This  work  contains  his  observa- 
tions of  Oregon  birds  at  Camp  Harney,  from 
1874  to  1877,  and  also  at  Fort  Klamath,  in 
1883. 

Lists  of  birds  with  other  local  ornithological 
matter  in  the  "  Oregon  Naturalist,"  of  November 


iv  Birds  of  Oregon  and  Washington 

and  December,  1895,  and  January,  1896,  —  pub- 
lished at  that  time  in  Portland,  Oregon,  —  should 
be  reprinted.  "  The  Condor,"  the  journal  of  the 
Cooper  Ornithological  Club  of  California,  also 
contains  some  Oregon  and  Washington  material 
answering  the  purpose.  No  doubt  Mr.  J.  H. 
Bowles  of  Tacoma,  Washington,  would  permit 
the  publishing  of  a  list  of  the  birds  of  Puget 
Sound  and  vicinity,  which  he  wrote  down  for 
private  information.  There  is,  undoubtedly, 
other  matter  which  might  be  brought  to  light, 
should  the  publication  suggested  be  seriously 
contemplated. 


NOV  2319B! 


14  DAY  USE 

RETURN  TO  DESK  FROM  WHICH  BORROWED 


. 

This  book  is  due  on  the  last  date  stamped  below,  or 
on  the  date  to  which  renewed. 
Renewed  books  are  subject  to  immediate  recall. 

